Djurgardens IF make complaint ahead of Chelsea clash in UEFA Conference League

Swedish club Djurgardens IF have made a complaint ahead of Thursday’s UEFA Conference League semi-final first leg clash against Chelsea.

Djurgarden host Chelsea at the 3Arena in Stockholm and head into the European showdown as huge underdogs against Enzo Maresca’s side.

Chelsea are significant favourites to clinch the Conference League trophy this season having dominated the league phase earlier this season.

The Premier League side finished top – winning all six of their games – scoring 26 goals and conceding just five times across the league phase.

Chelsea then eliminated Danish team FC Copenhagen and Polish club Legia Warsaw in the Conference League last 16 and quarter-finals.

If the Blues come out on top against Djurgarden in the last four, Chelsea will face either Spanish side Real Betis or Fiorentina of Italy in the final.

Before the Conference League semi-finals, Djurgarden have complained about their stadium’s pitch, which is an artificial surface rather than grass.

‘The ball just slides away from your foot all the time,’ Djurgarden winger Tokmak Nguen said.

‘In deciding situations when you have decided what to do suddenly the ball has moved for no reason. We have told the club that something has to be done.’

Speaking about Djurgarden’s quarter-final first leg defeat to Rapid Vienna – before they turned things around in the second leg away from home to reach the last four – striker August Priske also voiced his frustration.

‘I don’t want to blame the pitch of course, but it’s a s****y pitch,’ the 21-year-old said.

Djurgarden manager Jani Honkavaara, meanwhile, added: ‘The stadium pitch feels different from day to day.

‘It’s really tough for both us and our opponents. We get nothing extra from it.

‘The pitch is horrible. I have thought of letting us train more on the stadium pitch to get used to it.’

Despite complaints from several players and the club’s head coach, Djurgarden’s hierarchy are currently refusing to change the playing surface.

The board insists ‘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’.

They argue that the ground is not designed for any surface other than artificial grass and added that it would cost too much money to replace.

Chelsea will hope the issue doesn’t impact their own chances of progressing as they look to become the first club to win all three European club competitions – Champions League, Europa League and Conference League – with the latter having been only introduced in the 2021-22 season.