The distinct sounds of chanting could be heard from afar as I approached the Telia 5G Areena in Helsinki. It was around an hour before kick off, but there were police-mounted horses on patrol, a massive queue for the away section, and men carrying massive flags, ready for their displays during the game. There was a real sense of anticipation in the air, something far beyond anything I had seen in Finnish football: the hum of conversation was louder, supporters were more excitable and there were many more people than normal. It was the day of Finland’s fiercest rivalry: the Stadin Derby, as HJK faced HIFK.
Sitting in the main stand, with the ultra groups of HIFK to my left and HJK to my right, it was clear they both had something planned. The two teams share this stadium for their home games, so there was a sense of normality in the supporters’ surroundings, even if the game itself was the most intense of the year. Each set of supporters had tifos on display as the players came out, each offering an insight into their club’s identity.
HJK’s read “ON VAIN YKSI KLUBI” (‘there is only one club’), Klubi being HJK’s nickname. There was a clear sense of the superiority that they’ve enjoyed with 29 league titles, their claim to being the only Finnish team to reach the Champions League and Europa League group stages, and the budget which has helped them achieve the status of the biggest club by far in Finland. Alfredo Morelos adorned their shirt before moving to Rangers in 2017 and Championship topscorer Teemu Pukki represented them for two seasons. They also have a reserve team, known as Klubi 04, that plays in Ykkönen (Finland’s second highest division).
It was HIFK, though, that produced the grander tifo. With a large black backdrop, their display showed a powerful looking figure who had torn HJK’s badge in half. Below read “RETURN OF THE WARLORD”. The use of the word ‘return’ is something to be picked up on here. HIFK were battling with HJK for titles in the mid 1900s and have seven league trophies of their own, though they were relegated from what was then known as Mestaruussarja in 1972. It took them 43 years to get back into Finland’s top flight, now called Veikkausliiga. When they did so, in 2015, they sold shares to their supporters to raise funds, a sign of both their sense of community and struggle for money. They were relegated again in 2017 after losing a promotion/relegation Play Off against FC Honka, but they bounced back at the first time of asking. This means they were playing against HJK’s reserves last campaign (winning all three games); they were now back to face the real thing.