@DandalBs is back for his regular Saturday round-up of all the week’s news and speculation from the women’s game in Sweden. Once more, the new BK Häcken FF club are taking most of the headlines, but there’s also signs of international football returning…
Once again, the club making the most news is BK Häcken FF who formally took over the reigning Damallsvenskan champions Kopparbergs/Göteborg last week. They have announced that the long drawn out process has resulted in them only having seventeen players under contract at the time of writing. The uncertainty since Christmas had prevented any new signings. The first attempt to build the squad saw Serbian international forward Milica Mijatović become BK Häcken FF’s first ever signing. Mijatović most recently played for Apollon Limassol in Cyprus an before that won last season’s W-League title with Melbourne City. She has signed an eighteen month deal.
To make their squad even smaller, three players, Hanna Wijk, Lotta Ökvist and Filippa Curmark have been injured in training. Additionally, FAWSL side Brighton & Hove Albion have signed Emma Koivisto on an 18-month contract from the club. The consequence of this is the club’s friendly match against Jitex in midweek had to be cancelled. They will hope that the injuries clear up in time to play their next scheduled friendly against Linköping today.
In terms of their management and coaching staff, BK Häcken have made big steps already. Rumour has it that former Sweden, Göteborg and Lyon great Lotta Schelin is one of the names up to discussion for their first Director of Sport. Schelin says she’s not closing any doors.
The club have added to their senior team coaching staff by appointing Erika Faith, who works with their pre-existing fourth tier team to also becoming assistant coach with their new Damallsvenskan team.
PRE-SEASON GAME NEWS:
The pre-season schedule for Damallsvanskan sides has just got underway. Yesterday, Växjö lost 0-3 at home to Rosengård, goals by Viggosdottir, Larsson and Schough were the difference. Today sees many more friendlies: Brommapojkarna face Djurgården at 1pm, Kristianstad are home to Borgeby at 2pm, BK Häcken FF play their first game against Linköping at 3:50pm. Hammarby take on AIK at 4pm with Örebro playing IFK Kalmar at 4pm. All kick-offs are local time – subtract one hour for UK time.
NEWS IN BRIEF:
Mia Eriksson reports that Sweden’s national women’s team will travel to Malta during the international break to play games vs Austria (February 19th) and Malta (February 23rd).
Piteå won their first pre-season game, against IFK Luleå’s 16 year-old boys team 4-0. Goals by Jennie Nordin, Hanna Andersson, Maja Green and Cecilia Edlund earned the win.
Djurgården has added another goalkeeper to their squad with the arrival of 24 year-old American Kelsey Daugherty. Daugherty spent two seasons at top Danish sideFortuna Hjörring and after that an uneventful last half of 2020 with Chicago Red Stars in the NWSL.
Lova Lundin, Umeå‘s second top goalscorer last season has left the club. The 22 year-old forward has joined EDF Logroño who sit just above the relegation zone in the Spanish Primera.
The 26 year-old former Uppsala forward Nicole Odelberg Modin has signed for Spanish Primera side RCD Espanyol for the rest of the season.
impetusfootball.org 