In a memorable way, HJK rose from the brink of the abyss to the league stage of the Football Conference League in Töölö.
29.8. 21:03•Updated 29.8. 22:23
HJK has survived the reformed league stage of the football Conference League after defeating Klaksvík from Faroe Islands 4–3 on aggregate.
Substitute player Diogo Tomas slipped to an important 1–1 draw in Thursday night’s semi-final by Lucas Lingman from the pass in the 90th minute. Just three minutes later, in added time Lee Erwin directed the decisive 2–1 goal for HJK. Captain Lingman was also responsible for serving this hit.
The opening part between the teams had ended in a 2-2 draw. At the same time, it was confirmed that the series of the group or league stages of the European games of the Helsinki club stretched to four seasons.
Head coach of HJK Toni Korkeakunnas was as sweaty after the match as his protégé.
– Absolutely insane feeling! The main thing is relief and happiness on behalf of the team and the entire organization. The culture of winning can be found when the belief does not end, even if sometimes it is a little more difficult.
– We took a big risk when we started rebuilding the team in the middle of the season. A third of the team has been replaced. Work has been done with this team for a month now and it is built in such a way that we can play two matches a week. Today it was confirmed that we get to play them all autumn, Korkeakunnas was happy.
Klaksvík’s special situation specialist and captain in the second half Árni Fredriksberg scored a 1–0 goal. He was given too much space in the middle sector, was able to turn and advance to the place where the 32-year-old conker sent the ball handsomely under the top bar in the 57th minute.
After the setback, HJK was able to – just like in the opening part – play against Klaksvík with a man advantage, when Cédric Yambéré received a straight red card after punching Klubi outside the penalty area due to the VAR review Georgios Kanellopoulos in the 62nd minute.
HJK was allowed to play practically half of the entire pair of matches with man superiority against Klaksvík and was finally able to take advantage of a great opportunity.
Klaksvík, which had the reputation of a weak away team, had not won a match in the three previous European games of this season. It had lost 1–4 to Swedish Malmö, 1–3 to Serbian Borac and played 0–0 against Luxembourgian Differdange in away matches.
In the opening half, there were no scoring opportunities, Halme was injured
In the first half, the goal posts were on both cards. HJK did not get a single shot at the opponent’s goal.
Aapo Halme was injured at the half hour mark, and Diogo Tomas was pulled from the substitutes’ bench to HJK’s topper section due to a concussion.
The club’s best place was seen in the opening period in the 38th minute, when Luke Plange offered a precise cross in front of the goal from the right wing, from which Tomas’ header went over Klaksvík’s goal.
According to goal scorer Tomas, there was a cheerful atmosphere in HJK’s booth after the valuable victory.
– I felt quite euphoric after my own goal, a really beautiful moment. I think we deserved that goal. Football is not an easy sport, and sometimes you have to show that you have character.
In the opinion of the power topper, HJK’s backbone will not break, even though challenges sometimes arise.
– Sometimes there is criticism and shit. Even now the questions were why we did it the hardest way. We showed that when there is heart, desire and will, then it (result) will come. A little drama for the people. The wings don’t break in difficult moments, they still carry this team, Tomas said.
This is how the games continue in the Conference League
The Football Conference League will be played – as in other men’s European competitions – with a new system this season. It’s no longer about the group stage, but the league stage.
There are 36 teams. Six opponents are drawn for each team in the preliminary series. There will be three home and away matches for all clubs.
The draw will take place on Friday, August 30 at 3:30 PM in Monaco. The dates for the league stage matches are 3rd and 24th October, 7th and 28th November and 12th and 19th December.
The eight best teams in the league stage go directly to the playoffs of the best sixteen. The teams ranked 9–24 in the league stage play each other in the playoff round, and the winners of the match pairs complete the 16 best groups.
The final match of this season’s Conference League will be played at the stadium in Wroclaw, Poland, which attracts more than 40,000 spectators, on May 28, 2025.
For entering the league stage of the conference league, the team receives 3.17 million euros. In the league stage, 400,000 euros are awarded for each win and 133,000 euros for a draw.
The Conference League is the third highest competition in Europe, the most recent champion of which is the Greek Olympiakos.
Diogo Tomas’s comments were added to the story at 22:23.