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The Olympic Stadium will come to life on Wednesday night, August 19th.
The first event of the national stadium is the meeting of the Helsinki teams of the Subway National League for the women’s football main series. PK-35 and HJK are opening a new era for the stadium, bringing women’s main league football to the stadium for the first time in the 21st century.
The Helsinki Olympic Stadium, completed in 1938, will open to the public in August for the first time after many years of renovation. An unholy new era of sports and events will start the women’s football main series Helsinki Derby, where Helsinki PK-35 and HJK will meet.
– The Olympic Stadium will be officially opened and inaugurated on 22 August. Great that we get to experience the local Derby at the Olympic Stadium even before the official opening. The match will also be relevant to the Stadium Foundation in many ways after the renovation work is completed, says Ari Kuokkanen, the director of the Olympic Stadium.
The women’s soccer main series has been played since 1971, when the first Finnish championship was decided at the Olympic Stadium. When the completion schedule for the new Olympic Stadium was confirmed, the National League was offered the opportunity to open a new page in the history of the renovated stadium.
– The Olympic Stadium is known as a stadium of good mood, which has been surrounded by a strong sense of the Olympic spirit throughout history. We also want to make the values of humanity and respect for others visible through the Subway National League, which is why it is wonderful that the women’s main league match can bring the renewed Olympic Stadium to life again, comments Heidi Pihlaja, Development Manager of the Football Association.
Pallokerho-35 (PK-35) and the Helsinki Football Club (HJK) will meet in the Helsinki derby, which will be played as the first match of the Olympic Stadium. The home team PK-35 is the season runner-up from Pihlajamäki this season, which has surprised with its strong early season in the Subway National League. Opposite HJK is the most successful club team in the history of women’s main series – and also the first Finnish champion from the Olympic Stadium in 1971.
– The Olympic Stadium and the idea of playing there brings cold shivers to the surface. The atmospheric and sympathetic stadium is reminiscent of many memories and it is dizzying to think that we will soon be able to play a home game against HJK there. Hopefully many people will come to create an unforgettable evening with us, describes home team captain Amanda Rantanen.
– I grew up at a time when the Olympic Stadium has been the number one stadium in Finland. And it is not only a historical sports sanctuary, but also an iconic landmark for Helsinki. It’s great to get there to play the Helsinki derby and celebrate the reopening of the stadium after a long renovation, says HJK captain Linda Ruutu.
Source: Football Association