New U21 stadiums up and running

After 61 minutes of Malmö FF's first home game of the season, the sell-out crowd let out a collective roar – the moment they had been waiting for had arrived. Opponents Örgryte IS could only half-clear a corner and Malmö midfielder Labinot Harbuzi pounced to drill the ball into the net. It was the first goal scored at the Malmö New Stadium, one of two new grounds along with the Gamla Ullevi in Gothenburg built to host matches at the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship in Sweden in June.

'Expectations surpassed'
"Our main fan section is right behind that goal, and they simply exploded when 'Labbe' scored," Malmö captain Daniel Andersson told uefa.com after his side's 3-0 win on 13 April. "The team had been waiting and longing for the first match at our new stadium, but when the day finally came it surpassed my expectations. When we stepped on to the pitch to warm up, the fans were already singing at top volume."

U21 matches
Sweden will be expecting a similar atmosphere when they kick off their Group A campaign against Belarus on 16 June. The Malmö New Stadium, with a 21,000 capacity, will stage two other Group A games – Belarus against Serbia on 19 June, and Serbia against Sweden on 23 June – as well as the final on Monday 29 June. The Gamla Ullevi, which will have a seated capacity of 16,700 for the finals, will hold three matches in Group B as well as a semi-final on 26 June. The stadium is the new home of GAIS Göteborg, IFK Göteborg and Örgryte.

Larsson honour
While Malmo the city looks forward to welcoming the next generation of European footballers in June, the club celebrated the new arena's opening by inviting several former greats to the Örgryte game. The biggest ovation was saved for Bo Larsson, who had the honour of performing the ceremonial kick-off. Larsson scored 119 goals in 307 matches for Malmö and also represented Sweden at the 1970, 1974 and 1978 FIFA World Cups – a fine example for the club's rising stars.

Talent
Nineteen-year-old Agon Mehmeti was the on-field hero with two goals in the 3-0 win, and with team-mates Harbuzi, Guillermo Molins, Robert Åhman Persson and Jimmy Durmaz also contenders for a place in the Sweden U21 squad, Daniel Andersson hailed Malmö 's impressive emerging talent. "These lads have taken the step up that all of us had hoped for," said Andersson, who has 72 Sweden caps and played at the U21 finals in 1998. "Guillermo Molins has been a regular with the U21s for a long time, and 'Labbe' should be in the squad too. He has started the season brilliantly."

'Fantastic atmosphere'
Gothenburg, too, will have local talent on show this summer with IFK's Mattias Bjärsmyr, Erik Lund, Gustav Svensson, Pontus Wernbloom and Robin Söder all aiming to make the final cut. The first game at the Gamla Ullevi was the derby between Örgryte and GAIS on 5 April. "The atmosphere was fantastic," said Thomas Walfridsson, who will be venue manager of the Gamla Ullevi during the tournament. "The stadium was packed, just as it was for the next match between IFK and Djurgården. It's obvious the people of Gothenburg love their new arena. We have three teams playing at this arena, but there's not the slightest sign of wear and tear [on the pitch]. With two weeks of rest before the Under 21s, the pitch will be amazing."