Gothenburg aka Göteborg is experiencing a great summer. This summer has been a great one for football: the FIFA World Cup 2018 hosted by Russia (Sweden reached quarter finals in almost three decades), and the annual Gothia Cup 2018 hosted by Sweden in its second largest city. Both these events proved a great success with the public and the participants.

The world cup football matches were shown in many places in Gothenburg: Ullevi Stadium was opened up for the residents to watch the matches, and the entry was free. This provided an excellent opportunity for people to spend time together. Many bars and pubs also showed the matches, and had a great business.
Sofia Jakobsson, sales and events coordinator of BK Häcken and Gothia Cup, told www.gothenburg-400.com that ‘the soccer fever was all over the town, and has a huge impact on Swedish football’.

The biggest attraction for the world cup football matches came from Stora Teatern’s restaurant. It showed the matches on two big screens. Many people flocked to this place because of its locational advantage. The crowds were so huge they had to turn away the screen facing the road to the other side. The manager of the restaurant, Storköket, told that the giant screen had to change its direction from facing the road due to health and safety issue.
Sofia Jakobsson said football like Gothia Cup brings only happiness and joy for the game. She said, “It is the celebration of the game and the importance of getting all the young people of the world together to have fun and spread love.”
The Gothia Cup brings many people both the youth and the adults from different parts of the world to the city. It adds a cultural dimension to the city. Sofia said, “It will only bring a good change because we learn from other cultures and other cultures learn from us. It is only a good thing. And Gothenburg can be better by taking in teams from all over the world.”

Football aka soccer is attributed as variously as a global religion, a secular religion, a platform for soft diplomacy as demonstrated by the Russian President Vladimir Putin who hosted the quadrennial madeleine and also for its aesthetic and human component of players: balletic moves, heroes turn to tragedies, underdogs or rookies leapfrog to global limelight among others.
And, Sweden’s Jan Olsson is part of the Johan Cruyff turn aka CRUYFF TURN for he was part of that turn. He said in an interview that he was proud to be part of that turn when Johan Cruyff made that pass from him: Swedish spirit.
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