BK H?cken Train at EEP

UEFA Cup opponents arrive full of confidence

BK H?cken in training at East End Park, 20:00 Tuesday 15th August 2007

Speaking after arriving in Scotland, BK H?cken Manager Sonny Karlsson made it clear that he is expecting a tough game but promises not to be negative:-

"I think it will be, from our side anyway, a well played game because we only play offensive football. We are not going to be like an Italian team and come here and just play defensively to take a draw. We always try to win.

"The league for us is very important so we are not going to change our game too much so we can take the team to the league."

BK H?cken, like Dunfermline were relegated last season and if you can believe it for a club so named, qualified for the UEFA Cup through the Fair Play League. Karlsson admitted that they disposed of a troubled KR Reykjavik in the previous round and sees no reason why his team should not progress:-

"KR are last in their league so it is a couple of teams with problems" adding "of course we would be satisfied with a draw or even if we lose 1-0 but that is not what we are playing for, we are playing to win."

H?cken is a young club, started 40 years ago by shipyard workers. The club is growing fast and Manager has done his homework on the Fifers:-

"I saw them against Manchester United last week in a testimonial game and I had one coach here watching the Dunfermline game against Morton. So far they have lost two in the league and they have only played two so I think they have more problems than we have at the moment. We will see tomorrow what kind of game it will be from their side."

That should be sufficient in confidence building but the Swedes also take strength from the fact that they are well into their domestic season:-

"We have played in the Intertoto Cup before and we have met more famous teams than us and we have had good chances because at that moment they are not in the position that we are in right now having played half our league."

H?cken's Swedish international defender Teddy Lucic said:-

"A win is the best for us, a draw would be a great result too.

"We are a small club from Gothenburg the third or fourth team in the city and this is the biggest step for the club since they started up. At the moment we are playing in the First Division; we were a little unlucky to get relegated last year, hopefully we will jump back up."

That of course is the task also facing Dunfermline but the man with 85 international caps confesses to knowing little about his opponents despite spending a season in Britain in 2003-03 when he made 17 appearances for Leeds United:-

"Not that much, we know more about Celtic and Glasgow. Dunfermline played in the Scottish Cup final and lost in the final, obviously they have some skilful players in their team." He went on to warn the Pars that they face stiff opposition in a tough match:-

"Most of the players are skilful, we have an attacker (Dioh Williams) from Liberia, when he is on form he is a great player. All the players have something to show. It will be a good atmosphere and hopefully a good game."