Långholmen FC prepare to face IFK Gothenburg

Stockholm's international football club Långholmen has captured Sweden’s attention by being drawn to play league superstars IFK Gothenburg in the Swedish Cup this month.

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Despite playing six leagues beneath the Gothenburg team, Långholmen has been drawn to play against the 18 time Swedish champion team in what may be the David and Goliath sporting event of the year.

The Local chatted to Club Captain Andy O'Sullivan about his expectations for the event and what he thinks the football gods have in store for the team.

The Local: What’s been the club’s reaction to the draw?

Andy O’Sullivan: The phone has been ringing off the hook! Excited players, interested sponsors, well-wishers… we were even trending on Twitter for a few hours yesterday!

It’s a bit of a David and Goliath moment – while football has come to be a lot about money, we’re here showing how passion can pay off and how the little people can be noticed. It’s a heartwarming story really; I’ve even had calls from the UK about people who are interested in telling our story.

TL: What does it mean for the club?

AO: It means we’ve been given a platform for growth. We've been working hard for ten years now.... and that we can build on this epic event.

TL: How are you preparing for the big match?

AO: We’ve still got 2 or 3 games in the league competition to play before the cup match, so they will be helpful, but the buzz is so huge.

There is a wealth of things to organise off the pitch, promoting the event, selling tickets, health and safety, hospitality - It's huge. The most important thing is getting the word out there and bringing the supporters down in big numbers.

TL: What are your expectations for the match?

AO: Well, we’re obviously the underdogs but the best thing about football is that miracles can happen. We’ll go out there with a lot of pride and hopefully the gods will smile upon us. We’ve got the home advantage, they’ve been having a fairly average season… you never know…

From seasoned supporters to the wider international community, we hope everyone can get behind us!

TL: What’s next for the club?

AO: We'd love to build on this platform, attract new members, supporters and sponsors to the club. A youth system or coaching via international schools has been mentioned in the past which would be great to establish the long term security of the club. For now...

The match date is yet to be announced, though is expected to be 18th or 19th of August.

Oliver Gee
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