HIFK icons Jani Bäckman and Jukka Halme bid farewell to the home crowd on Saturday. Supporters chanted for both legends.
HIFK–IFK Mariehamn 2–3
Football Helsinki IFK, who are relegated from the Veikkausliiga, played their last home match at the main league level for the time being on Saturday.
The result was a sad one for HIFK: Kamratmöte ended with IFK Mariehamn’s away win with a score of 3–2, so HIFK did not win a single home match this season.
The 1-3 hit that was the winning goal came at the end of the opening half from a penalty kick that IFK Mariehamn received Guillermo Sotelo poured out by Jamie Hopcutt.
Dé stepped onto the spot and shot the ball confidently by Ramilson Almeida behind the back. HIFK experienced another setback in the situation, when Sotelo received a straight red card for his foul.
HIFK’s goals were the responsibility of the one who directed the goal in the 1–1 draw David Onyeanula and after stealing the ball, he sunk a 2-3 reduction in the back corner Didis Lutumba-Pitah.
“The first half was good. We got a two-goal lead and a red for them. Then we became too passive in the second half and our own mistake became a narrowing goal for them”, who lost the ball to Lutumba-Pitahi Jiri Nissinen said in an interview with Ruutu service.
The goal gun of the afternoon had hit twice for the visitors John Owoeri.
HIFK icons Jani Bäckman and Jukka Halme said goodbye to the home crowd on Saturday. Before the match, Halme said in an interview with Ruuttu that he received “really much” from the club.
“Incredibly different events and experiences. I got a lot of friends and great people in my life,” he said.
Halme listed climbs and derbies as the highlights of his HIFK career.
“The first league promotion is probably the biggest thing that comes to mind. And of course the first Stad derbies. There had never been such games in Finland before.”
The HIFK supporters watching the game from the Itäkatsomo already remembered Bäckman and Halmet with their songs during the game. After the match, a sheet thanking the duo was spread in the stands.
“En gång kamrat, alltid kamrat. Thank you for everything, Jugi & Bäri”, the supporters declared.
The players were also remembered with awards after the match.
To number one relegated HIFK will play their last Veikkausliiga match for now on Sunday next week as a guest of FC Lahti, who will definitely qualify.
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