Hammarby will face BK Häcken in the Europa Cup final in a two-legged match, with the first leg scheduled for April 25 at Hammarby's home ground in Stockholm and the second leg on May 1 at Häcken's home ground on Hisingen. The Europa Cup is a new tournament complementing the Champions League, with its first edition this autumn, according to multiple reports. In the semifinals, BK Häcken defeated Eintracht Frankfurt, while Hammarby overcame Sparta Prague, setting up an all-Swedish final.
This inaugural final will be decided over two legs rather than a single match, a departure from traditional international club football finals which are usually a single match on neutral ground, as noted by multiple reports. Several national team players have reacted to the two-legged final format, according to multiple reports. Häcken's sporting director Christian Lundström said that in an ideal world, the final would be a single match like the Champions League final.
It's well that most people want and strive for that.
Hammarby's sporting director Arnor Smárason agrees that a single final match is preferable in a perfect world. Neither Häcken nor Hammarby has contacted UEFA about changing the final format. UEFA has worked hard to establish this cup, and it may have been done quickly, according to Christian Lundström.
The two-legged format may be due to financial reasons, he added. In the future, the final might be a single match, possibly co-organized with the Champions League, according to Christian Lundström. The tournament's structure reflects efforts to integrate it into the European football calendar, with the two-legged format potentially offering more competitive balance and revenue opportunities compared to a one-off final.
It's well that of course you would like to see that it was a single match like the Champions League final. At the same time, we know that UEFA has fought to get this cup going, it probably went quickly and I don't know what their plan looks like for the future.
This approach contrasts with other UEFA competitions but aligns with early-stage tournaments aiming to build fan engagement and commercial viability. As the clubs prepare, the focus remains on the on-field action, with both teams looking to capitalize on home advantage in their respective legs to secure the trophy.
It might be an economic issue. However, I think that you could invest in it in the future. And in the future, it probably will be that, it's well something that most people want and strive for. I believe that even UEFA will strive for that in the future. Right now, we are happy to play at home.
No, it's so far along now that you've just accepted it. I think it's too big a process to start. We can't place the match at one of the teams, we would never agree on that, it means you need to play on neutral ground. In the future, maybe you can co-organize it with the Champions League or similar.
I think exactly the same. That's how it is. We probably shouldn't focus so much on this now but rather be happy that it will be two fan festivals.
It's nothing that we have done now so close to the final. In a perfect world, it's always preferable to have a final, but now they have chosen to do it this way. Now you have to see it as we get a home match in the Europa final and Häcken too. After that, we have to think about how it should look in the future.