Finnish national team midfielder Ria Öling secured her second consecutive Swedish championship at FC Rosengård. On Thursday, the Swedish team will meet FC Barcelona in the group stage of the Champions League.
Emma Hyuppa,
Timo Uusitalo
Ria Öling’s represented by Rosengård secured the Swedish Damallsvenskan football championship two rounds before the end of the series on Monday evening. The championship was the club’s second in a row and 13th overall.
The championship was sealed when Rosengård’s only threat Linköpings FC was held to a 2-2 draw against Kalmar on Monday.
– Really good atmosphere, This has been our goal this season. A bit of a strange way to win a championship. Of course, it’s nice to win as early as possible, says Öling, who also plays in the national team.
In Rosengård, it was thought that Linköping would have won, and they would have been able to decide the championship themselves in the next game.
– There are no big celebrations, because I didn’t think we would win today. Today, a couple of my teammates and I watched the game and carved pumpkins. We just spent time together, says Öling.
28-year-old Öling has championships in Finnish, Danish and Swedish series. He was already part of FC Rosengård’s champion team last season. This season, Sweden’s top club has also achieved the cup championship and a place in the group stage of the Champions League.
– We haven’t necessarily always played such good football, but we have still been able to win games. It has been our greatest strength, says Öling.
A new challenge as a winger
Öling, who completed 64 international matches and nine goals in the women’s national team, has had to play in a new place this season, the fullback’s field. Vaasalainen has been rewarded for his good performances by being in the starting line-up in every Damallsvenskan match of the season.
– It has been a good season and I have been given a lot of responsibility. I have found myself in a new playing field. From the beginning of the season we had injuries, so I played as a winger. I’ve enjoyed myself there even after that. At least the coach has liked it, and so has he when he has been able to attack a lot. When I have had to defend a lot, I have looked for midfield, says Öling and continues:
– On the other hand, defenders are replaced less often than midfielders, so I have been able to play a lot.
Rosengård’s hard games continue, so it’s not yet time for championship celebrations. It will play the Champions League group stage match against the big club FC Barcelona on Thursday at its home ground in Malmö. The match is sold out.
– It’s the kind of game you want to play in a sold-out stadium against one of the best teams in the world. You really get to test your level, Öling says.
Öling says that he is already looking forward to the away match at Barcelona’s massive home stadium Camp Nou on December 21. In March, the audience record for women’s football was set at the stadium, when more than 91,000 spectators watched the Champions League match between Barcelona and Real Madrid.
As Barcelona’s opponent, Rosengård hardly gets a record crowd, but playing in front of even a few tens of thousands of spectators is a rare treat for Finnish football players.
– Playing at Camp Nou is a dream. I have worked hard all my life and reached this point, says Öling.
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