In a way it was a sad sight in Tele2 Arena on Thursday night. One of Stockholm´s two top modern stadiums was filled to something like 2-3% of its 30,000 capacity, for a game in the second qualifying round of UEFA Europa League. The host team IF Brommapojkarna normally plays its home games at Grimsta IP, a much smaller ground some 15 km west of the centre of Stockholm. Grimsta seldom sees more than a couple of thousand spectators, and is not a UEFA approved venue. The opponents Crusaders FC from Belfast is not what you would call a Big Club either, playing at Seaview, with a capacity of about 3,000. The cheers and applause echoed like in a near-empty cathedral, as did the sounds of feet hitting the ball.
Let me try another perspective.
In a way it was a beautiful sight in Tele2 Arena on Thursday night. Although being the biggest youth club in Europe, known for supplying other teams with a lot of talented players through the years (e. g. Anders Limpar, John Guidetti, Albin Ekdal), Brommapojkarna has only in recent years reached the Swedish top tier Allsvenskan and is this summer struggling in the very bottom. The place in the Europa League was earned through UEFA:s Fair Play Competition and is the club´s first international appearance.
The Europa League gives small clubs, often in less successful national leagues, the chance to compete internationally, against legendary teams in famous arenas. The winners of the clash between Crusaders and Brommapojkarna will face Torino FC in the next round, which promises to be a great experience, not only for the players, but also for the rest of the club including youth players, employees and supporters.
I wish the gargantuan amount of money circulating in Champions League and the top European Clubs won´t kill the Europa League. I wish more small teams could enter Champions League. Football feeds on dreams and teams like Brommapojkarna, Crusaders, Sligo Rovers, Diósgyőri VTK and Shakhtyor Soligorsk deserve the chance to make their dreams come true.

Crusaders FC
IF Brommapojkarna
A piece on a visit to Grimsta, the home ground of Brommapojkarna