The final marks a milestone for Swedish women's football, as two domestic clubs compete for a European title. Häcken's path to the final was dramatic: according to multiple reports, the team was seconds away from eliminating Atlético Madrid and qualifying for the Champions League last autumn, but conceded a stoppage-time penalty and lost in extra time. Later that autumn, Häcken won its first historic Swedish league title, according to multiple reports. According to Sportbladet, Häcken player Tabby Tindell described the late defeat as a catalyst, saying the team felt it had nothing left to lose after that disappointment.
The prize money for the Europa Cup has drawn sharp criticism. According to multiple reports, the winner receives approximately 860,000 SEK, and total prize money for the tournament is about 4 million SEK. In contrast, Malmö FF received 140 million SEK for participating in the Europa League league phase last season, according to multiple reports. According to Sportbladet, Häcken's Stina Lennartsson called the prize money 'a joke', and Anna Anvegård described the disparity as 'quite ridiculous'. Emilie Joramo told Sportbladet that players almost expect nothing anymore, wishing for more reward for their efforts.
The hope is that we can use that experience and think: this won't happen again.
The double-header format for the final has also been a point of contention. Several Swedish national team players, including Julia Zigiotti, Matilda Vinberg, Stina Blackstenius, Rebecka Blomqvist, Fridolina Rolfö, Hanna Bennison, and Evelyn Ijeh, have criticized the format. Zigiotti said it is strange to play a final as a double-header, while Vinberg expressed surprise upon learning there would be two matches. Blackstenius said she initially thought it might be one match on neutral ground. Rolfö acknowledged that a single match on neutral ground would be more fun, but also noted that home-and-away is fairer than giving one team home advantage. Bennison stated that a final should be one match, and Vinberg added that players should not get a second chance in a final. Ijeh said a final should be 'do or die'.
Club officials, however, have taken a more pragmatic stance. According to Fotbollskanalen, Häcken's sportchef Christian Lundström said that while a single-match final is something most people want, the club accepts the current format and is happy to play at home. Hammarby's sportchef Arnor Smárason agreed, telling Fotbollskanalen that in a perfect world a final is always preferable, but now they focus on the two crowd parties. Lundström noted that changing the format so close to the final would be too big a process, and suggested that in the future, a neutral ground or co-arrangement with the Champions League could be possible.
It's a strange dynamic to try to figure out what mentality to have, what to focus on, what to shut out. At the same time, it's pretty cool. Very good for Swedish football that two top teams meet like this.
On a lighter note, according to Fotbollskanalen, Hammarby's Stina Lennartsson said she would celebrate a Europa Cup win with cinnamon buns. She also expressed a desire for revenge after Hammarby lost the league title to Häcken last year. The unknowns surrounding the final include why UEFA decided on a double-header format, whether prize money will increase in future editions, and how fans feel about the two-legged setup. The total attendance for both legs has not been confirmed, and it remains unclear if the format will be changed for future editions of the Europa Cup.
Conceding a goal so late and at the same time understanding that they get all the momentum... it's a difficult situation to handle, both emotionally and logically.
It was tough, absolutely, but it's also football. There are many lessons. How to handle matches, how to prepare for that kind of intensity.
In a way it became a catalyst. We felt we had nothing left to lose.
It was a special moment. You see the ball go in, you celebrate, teammates come running. It's almost like you don't really understand what's happening.
I usually joke with Anna about it too, because I celebrated on my knees and she just tackled me. I thought: my knees probably can't handle that now that I'm 30.
A joke.
In comparison, it becomes quite ridiculous that there is such a big difference. We understand that it's a completely different economy on the men's side, but when you put them side by side like this, it becomes quite ridiculous. We should probably be happy that there is any money at all, maybe.
You almost expect nothing anymore. It's a big difference, of course you wish you got a little more out of the work we players and the club put into this.
It sounds like a joke actually. Feels like we are losing money by being in this tournament rather than actually making a profit. So no, if this is to continue, it also has to give a good sum of money.
It's something that most people want and strive for.
It's probably that of course you would like to see it as a single match like the Champions League final. At the same time, we know that Uefa has fought to get this cup together, it went fast and I don't know what their plan looks like for the future.
It might be an economic issue. However, I think you could invest in it in the future. And in the future it probably will be, it's something that most people want and strive for. I think even Uefa will strive for it in the future. Right now we are happy to play at home.
I think exactly the same. That's how it is. We shouldn't focus too much on this now but rather be happy that there will be two crowd parties.
No, it's so far along now that we have just accepted it. I think it's too big a process to start. We can't put the match at one of the teams' grounds, we would never agree on that, which means you need to play on neutral ground. In the future maybe you can co-arrange it with the Champions League or similar.
It's nothing we have done now so close to the final. In a perfect world, a final is always preferable, but now they have chosen to do it this way. Now you have to see it as we get a home match in the final in Europe and Häcken too. After that we have to think about how it should look going forward.
Honestly, I think a final should be a final, not two matches.
Here at 3Arena we have had good statistics over the years. With our fans we will probably do a good match. But we also know that we are going to Bravida in a week and there we have had a bit of a hard time.
Then I will celebrate with lots of cinnamon buns instead.
We have a revenge from last year when they took the league title even though we felt it was our year. A lot of revenge of course. All I want is just to beat them.
It's a bit nerve-wracking. You kind of have a good feeling that something fun will happen. It's a European final and it's huge, at the same time it's Häcken we meet tomorrow. But it's actually a European final and it's hard to take in.