BK Häcken women’s football team faces a steep uphill battle in the UEFA Women’s Champions League league phase following consecutive defeats, despite leading the Swedish Damallsvenskan. Head coach Elena Sadiku has defended her squad against external criticism regarding their European campaign, pointing to a complete roster rebuild and a brutal draw.
Champions League Struggles and Tough Group Stage Fixtures
Häcken opened their European campaign with a 1-0 defeat against Inter, followed by a 3-0 loss to Juventus. The reigning champions face a demanding remaining schedule in the 18-team league phase, where the top 12 teams advance. Upcoming fixtures include matches against Paris FC, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Lyon.
Despite zero points from their opening two matches, Sadiku rejected criticism of her team’s performances in Europe. According to comments reported from a post-match press conference, Sadiku reminded media members of the initial reaction to the group pairings. “First of all, I just want to point out that after the draw, you all wrote that it was a nightmare draw and we knew about that,” Sadiku stated. “Did you think we were going to advance? No.”
Sadiku emphasized that the club is prioritizing its domestic campaign while treating Europe as a development phase. “You can choose what to write. That was what you said, but we want to play our game and do everything to be successful in the Damallsvenskan,” Sadiku said. “This is a good test for us and we have a brand new team. We are in a process.”
Roster Turnover and Major Summer Departures
The European struggles follow a significant summer transfer window that reshaped the squad. Häcken sold Felicia Schröder to Real Madrid and Monica Jusu Bah to Manchester United, bringing in approximately 20 million Swedish kronor from the sales. Over previous seasons, the duo scored more than 100 goals combined for the club.
To reload, the club signed players including Maja Bodin from Växjö DFF and Joy Omewa from Nottingham Forest. In the opening match against Inter, Häcken fielded nine Champions League debutants.
Anna Anvegård acknowledged the loss of attacking talent following the departures. “We have lost a bit of edge up there. You can’t just replace Felicia, who scored 30 goals,” Anvegård said. “We created enough to score two goals. You have to be humble that we have lost two very good players.”
Anvegård noted that roster turnover is a familiar challenge during her four years at the club, which also lost Rosa Kafaji and Anna Sandberg after 2024. “The ones we have replaced with now might need a little more time. If the new players get a little more experience, I think it will be great,” Anvegård said.
Path Forward in Europe
With four matches remaining in the league phase, Häcken must win enough games to finish inside the top 12. Sadiku maintains that qualification remains possible despite the difficult start. “It is very tough to get through after two straight losses with the opponents that await,” Sadiku said. “But nothing is impossible.”
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