Olympia, Helsingborg

Monday 22 September 2008

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The Olympia (©Getty Images)

Photos/Wallpapers »

Club: Helsingborgs IF
Capacity: 12,500
Matches: 3 Group A matches, semi-final
16 June Italy v Serbia
19 June Sweden v Italy
23 June Belarus v Italy
26 June Semi-final 1 1A v 2B
Population: 91,457
Website: www.helsingborg.se

One of the oldest football grounds in Sweden, the Olympia has a rich history. Built in 1898, it was a venue for the 1958 FIFA World Cup and UEFA WOMEN'S EURO 1995™, and has undergone several renovations, most recently in 1997 and 2001. It has lost little of its original charm, though it will be modernised again in 2009.

Significant matches
The Olympia has witnessed a few memorable games over the years. The record attendance of 26,154 was set in 1954 when Helsingborg and Malmö FF played out a thrilling 3-3 draw in a match to decide the Allsvenskan title. Helsingborg missed out after being denied by the post late on, but they had more to smile about in the 2000/01 UEFA Champions League third qualifying round when Michael Hansson's late goal meant they won 1-0 to progress at the expense of FC Internazionale Milano.

Venue guide
Situated at Sweden's closest point to Denmark, with Elsinore clearly visible 4km away on the other side of the Oresund Strait, Helsingborg remains one of the most important ports in Europe. The strategic location means it was settled early, around a millennium ago, and explains the imposing ramparts that have stood guard over the town for 600 years. The view from the top of the medieval Kärnan tower, one of the symbols of Helsingborg, offers commanding views over the strait.

Getting into the town in southernmost Sweden is, of course, much easier now, and Helsingborg is a major regional centre of trade, transport and business. Helsingborg, like Elsinore, is on the 56th parallel, a line of latitude shared with Moscow and Glasgow, and like those places the Swedish city has a rich footballing history, with Henrik Larsson, Mats Magnusson, Pontus Farnerud and Roland Nilsson all born there.

Here Helsingborg U21 ambassador, former Helsingborgs IF defender and Helsingborg native Roland Nilsson gives his views on the city:

When people see Helsingborg, they often say it's a town they'd like to come back to. It's a very nice place, especially in the summer because the harbour is in the middle of the town and there are nice beaches near the centre as well. There are palm trees on the beach and you feel like you are further south, down in the Mediterranean or something. Helsingborg is very close to Denmark with ferries going across. You have to take the ferry, it's a nice trip and you can see both Denmark and Sweden [from the boat]. There is quite a lot to do – there is the castle, that's very nice to go to as well. Because it's a bit of a summer town, when the winter comes it slows down a bit, but it's still a very nice town. The people here love their football. The new stadium is fantastic. It's totally enclosed and the atmosphere is fantastic with the crowd sitting six metres from the players. They can hear the players talking, see how they look. When people shouting and scream, everybody can hear it.