The match at Gamla Ullevi was already over after the first half, when Häcken had 3–0.
The second half was a transport journey waiting to celebrate the club’s first ever SC gold in football.
— I remember my first day when I came here, then “Fribbe” (Erik Friberg) looked at me and said: “Yes, then it will be gold again”, after the Malmö time then (the duo won SM gold with Malmö FF in 2013) . We both laughed and said, “No, that never happens”. And now we stand here. I can’t take it in, it’s completely unreal, says Johan Hammar to Discovery+.
“Hard to take in”
The faithful Erik Friberg, who ends his career after the season, to Radiosporten:
— It’s clear, it’s hard to take in actually. I’ve always known that Häcken will win gold, but that you get to be part of it too, it’s absolutely incredible. It is difficult to take in. But it’s absolutely fantastic, says Friberg.
The 36-year-old midfielder came to Häcken from Västra Frölunda in 2007. He stayed there for three years before being signed to the American Seattle Sounders. Then there were games in Malmö FF, Bologna, Esbjerg and another turn in Seattle before he returned to Häcken in 2017.
A lot has happened to Häcken in the last 15 years, admits Friberg.
“A Cult Bearer”
— Now it’s a big club. Then (2007) we switched to two barracks at Fjärdingsplan and we played in the super league. It has been taken step by step all along. In the beginning, it was to move up to the Allsvenskan in 2008, and then to establish yourself for a few years, to actually stay there. And then slowly but surely try to be at the top. We have been doing that for the past five to six years. It is a club that has grown tremendously in the last 15 years.
Shooting king Alexander Jeremejeff, with his 22 goals, has been one of Häcken’s most important players. But the 29-year-old himself wants to highlight Erik Friberg’s importance for the SM gold.
— Erik is the biggest we’ve had, a cult figure who built the association from not much to where we now go out and win the whole series. We can’t do that without Erik, says Jeremejeff to Discovery+.