“The best version of myself was a little missing”

Helsinki Football Club shone late on Thursday night, when the team beat Slovenian NK Maribor 2–0 in the first leg of the third qualifying round of the Europa League.

HJK scored twice in the second period. First David Browne finished Santeri Hostikan preliminary work. Bojan Radulovic doubled the lead when he nearly crossed the finish line Murilo into focus. Maribor had their place in the first period, but in the second half, HJK had their most dangerous attempts blocked.

Returned to HJK on loan from Allsvenskan club Helsingborg IF Lucas Lingman, 24, got on the field for the first time this season in a “Klubi” shirt. The midfielder was satisfied with the result, because away games on Euro courts are never easy.

– Maribor’s players were good with the ball. They made us defend, but we were meant to play low. Maybe not as much as we had to in the end. In the second half, they ran out of weapons a bit, we didn’t let them into the goal posts, Lingman thought to Urheilu by phone.

– We were clinical in our own goal posts. This gives a good starting point and opportunity for the next game.

The second part will be played next Thursday in Helsinki. A win in the match pair would guarantee HJK at least a place in the Conference League group stage for the coming fall. The loser of the match pair plays for the Conference League group place in the last qualifying round.

The quick return of Lingman, who moved to the Allsvenskan in January, to Helsinki has caused astonishment, because the performances in Helsingborg were excellent in terms of play.

According to Lingman, there was no drama involved in going on loan and everything is fine in Helsinborg. The desire to play to my own strengths and finding the best version of myself influenced the decision.

– The best version of myself was a bit missing. However, it makes you happy as a football player when you get to fulfill yourself. That’s what I came for.

Lingman expects to be able to help the team at HJK. The possibility of the European Games also motivates. Lingman, who debuted at HJK in the Veikkausliiga in 2015, said that returning to a familiar club felt like home.

– However, I know more than half of the players. It was really easy to come back. I know what to expect from the game and what to try. It felt like I hadn’t even left.

Lingman managed to play 15 matches at Sweden’s highest league level. He says that six months in Sweden developed his ability to play high-tempo football.

– In Sweden, there is sometimes a kind of hurlumhei-fut.

Lingman is most likely to return to Sweden at the turn of the year, when the HJK loan expires.

Kuopio Palloseura suffered a 0–2 loss to the Swiss Young Boys in the first leg of the third round of the Conference League played in Turku. The head coach Simo Valakari did not explain the loss.

– Pretty clear result. I rarely say it, but the guy was better today, Valakari stated.

– We kept getting into the game better. The second episode was definitely much better than the first. It was fantastic from our players, but it was a very tough opponent.

KuPS had to play their matches in Turku, because the stadium in Kuopio does not meet the requirements of the European football association Uefa. The second leg will be played next Thursday in Bern, Switzerland.

Valakari himself has been in the headlines in recent days, because BBC news (you switch to another service) that he is nominated to be the head coach of Scottish league team Motherwell. According to Valakar, he has discussed with the team that the team and the coach will become interesting when it works out.

– It tells you that a good job has been done, otherwise it’s football nonsense and things change quickly in football. Even now we lost 0–2, Valakari said with a grin.