Gothia Cup

Gothia Cup players fills up Bravida Arena

It’s not only Gothenburg City that fills up during Gothia Cup. Inside Bravida Arena, the home ground of local team BK Häcken, the seats are quickly taken by players from across the globe.

The Sunday game in Allsvenskan between BK Häcken and Örebro SK is free for Gothia Cup participants and they are not afraid to show their presence. Different coloured tracksuits flash everywhere you look. A perfect warm up for a week filled with football all over the city. Viviane and Lilly from the German team KFV Segeberg are watching the game together with their squad, their first game ever in Sweden.
“It’s very good football but also very different from home. The atmosphere is different and calmer here. We both support Borussia Dortmund and when they play it’s always so loud inside the arena”, says Viviane.

The dream is to play for the German national team and have a professional career. It’s a long way to go but hopefully Gothia Cup can be the first of many steps.
“It’s great to be here. Gothenburg is really nice, and the people are very friendly”, says Lilly.

If the Swedish crowd is calmer than the German one, it’s the opposite if you compare it with the South African, at least according to Kyle van Schalkwyk and Lance Botha. The boys are in Gothenburg for the first time, representing Tramway Football Club from Cape Town.  
“The crowd is louder and more into it here. It’s nice”, says Kyle van Schalkwyk.

But a calm home crowd is not worrying. The boys agree on that the football in South Africa is good, and that it works well with developing young players. A nice fact since they both aim for a professional career.
“I support Liverpool and to play for them would be a dream”, says Kyle van Schalkwyk.

Kyle and Lance are looking forward to the tournament, to have a good time and to watch the Opening Ceremony on Monday night.
“We saw some news about it on the internet. It looks crazy, we have to go”, says Lance Botha.