Chelsea rivals Djurgarden ended 38-year drought, helped create Spurs ace, but complain about own pitch

A unique history-making European run, three different managers and a dodgy pitch.

Djurgarden are set to face Chelsea in the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League, ending a 38-year drought in the process.

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They are the first Swedish team to reach the last four in Europe since 1987, and now they face the toughest task possible against Chelsea.

Enzo Maresca’s side are major favourites to go all the way in the Conference League and Blues fans are expecting silverware. 

The Premier League giants have managed to avoid Fiorentina and Real Betis, who are in the other semi-final, finding Djurgarden on their side of the bracket instead.

On paper, it should be an easy job for Chelsea, considering the entire market value of their opponents’ squad is equivalent to Robert Sanchez’s. 

Cole Palmer alone at £110million, according to Transfermarkt, is six times more expensive than the Swedish outfit’s full team. 

However, 12-time Allsvenskan champions Djurgarden are certainly not going to be a pushover. 

As mentioned, the club, who were founded in 1891 and originally began as a winter sports team, ended a 38-year wait in Sweden for a side to reach the semi-finals of a major European competition. 

And they’ve done it in very unusual circumstances compared to other semi-finalists, starting their Conference League campaign all the way back in July last year.

Djurgarden progressed through the second qualifying round, the third qualifying round and play-offs to book their place in the League Phase of the competition. 

It meant they had already played six games before things had really got started. 

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They then began their League Phase fixtures during the run-in of their domestic season, but the Allsvenskan campaign then ended soon after. 

So, the club’s main focus from November onwards was the Conference League, trying to keep fit by organising and playing friendlies rather than league games. 

Incredibly, they still managed to finish fifth in the League Phase table, and that secured their automatic qualification to the knockout stages. 

Despite that, manager Roberth Bjorkenso, who was only in an interim role following the departure of Kim Bergstrand, left the club.

He was replaced by Jani Honkavaara, and he has since led Djurgarden through the knockout stages as their third different boss of the European campaign.

It may have been a chaotic few months, but they managed to beat Pafos to reach the quarter-finals, with only cup fixtures and friendlies preparing them for that huge tie. 

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The Allsvenskan then restarted again, just over a week before their quarter-final against Rapid Vienna, and that could have made an impact as they lost 1-0 at home in the first leg.

However, they fought back in the second leg, winning 4-1 across normal and extra-time to set up a meeting with Chelsea. 

Scoring two pivotal goals in that game was 21-year-old Tobias Fjeld Gulliksen, who looks to be the next young star to come from Djurgarden. 

And Gulliksen will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of Lucas Bergvall.

The now-Spurs star left the Swedish side for the Premier League last summer, with Ange Postecoglou’s side beating Barcelona to his signature. 

Bergvall made his last appearance for Djurgarden in July 2024 and ahead of his goodbye, he said: “It feels depressing, of course. I enjoy myself here, so it feels really sad to leave everyone here, but I hope to come back at some point.

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“Djurgarden has meant an incredible amount to me and has been a big part of my life.” 

The teenager spent just over a year at the club, making 47 appearances, and during that time, he was tipped to become their ‘biggest transfer ever’. 

And he did, being sold to Spurs for more than double their record departure after catching the eye of some of Europe’s biggest clubs. 

Bergvall has now just signed a new six-year contract in North London, proving just how highly-rated he is in the Premier League.

Chelsea know all about Bergvall, coming up against him twice in the Premier League this season – but it’s his former club they face next.

And things aren’t expected to be simple for either side in Stockholm. 

That’s because Djurgarden’s own players have been complaining about their pitch at their stadium, raising concerns over the artificial grass. 

New turf is in place at the 3Arena and winger Adam Stahl, along with striker August Priske, have taken aim at the surface. 

There have been complaints over passing the ball and differences to the club’s training ground pitch, with it being described as ‘challenging’.

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Manager Honkavaara has also admitted that ‘it feels different day to day’ while club members have appealed for the artificial surface to be banned.

However, that has been denied by the board, which stated that: “The issue has already been investigated and pursued by those responsible at Djurgarden Football and that the conclusion is that there are not sufficiently good conditions to change the basis.”

It leaves Djurgarden and Chelsea set to play in uncertain conditions, and that may well impact the Blues’ success. 

The Swedes have struggled on their pitch, only scoring one goal in their first three home league games of the season, but Maresca’s men could be heavily impacted too.

With worries over the passing on the surface, Chelsea’s possession-heavy tactics and building from the back plan could go wrong. 

So, is there a chance that a huge upset may be on the cards? 

It would be an all-time achievement for Djurgarden if they could knock out the Blues, almost a year on from beginning their Conference League campaign. 

And a special night in Stockholm could well see them make more history. 

Kick-off at the 3Arena on Thursday night is at 8pm.

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