Stockholm’s Tele2 Arena is specially lit up for this evening in yellow and blue, the national colors of Sweden. This multi-purpose stadium, which also hosts the Champions League during the autumn, will experience the last round of the tie for the European Women’s Championship, which will take place next year in Switzerland. The home Swedes enter it as favorites, hosting the Serbians, who beat them 2:0 at home. The atmosphere around the stadium is almost no different from the one in the Strawberry arena a few weeks ago, when the men’s team played Slovakia in the Nations League.
“I also go to see our boys, but mostly with my friends. I also take my daughters to the women’s team, they always look forward to it. The older one plays for the youth of Djurgården and Johanna Rytting Kanerydová is her biggest role model,” Patrik tells me. Everyone is dressed in a yellow Swedish jersey, little Anna also brought a banner asking her heroine Johanna Rytting Kanerydová for a jersey. And she has a great chance, the London Chelsea midfielder is in the starting line-up. She used to play for Stockholm’s Djurgården, just like Anna.
“I see it as two different sports. I don’t compare it because I don’t think they can be compared, everyone is different. But I enjoy both,” Patrik explains how he perceives men’s and women’s football. At the same time, he adds that as a fan he probably experienced more joy with the women’s team. “Our men are a good team, but for the women I feel they belong to the top, so top 5 for sure. I would definitely believe them more against England or Spain, for example. With men, we never even know if they will advance from the group,” he adds.
