Who Are Djurgarden? Chelsea's Conference League Semifinal Opponents | OneFootball

Chelsea have faced an array of unfamiliar opponents in this year's Conference League and another lies in wait in the semifinals.

The Blues, who have sauntered into the last four, have triumphed over Copenhagen and Legia Warsaw in the knockout rounds of UEFA's third most prestigious club competition and now face two battles with Djurgården to reach the showpiece event on May 28.

But who are Chelsea's upcoming opponents? Here's the lowdown on the Swedish side.

Who are Djurgården?

Djurgården, formed in 1891 on an island in central Stockholm of the same name, are one of Sweden's biggest clubs. They have won 12 top-flight domestic titles - only three sides have claimed more - and have accumulated the same number as bitter city rivals AIK. Their first triumph came back in 1912 and their most recent 2019 - their first league title in 14 years.

Djurgården, which quite literally translates to "deer garden", have been less successful in the Svenska Cupen (Swedish Cup), however, winning it on just five occasions. While only four sides can better that total, they haven't triumphed since 2018 and lost last year's final.

The club traditionally play in blue and navy stripes, hence one of their nicknames Blaranderna (Blue Stripes), and enjoyed their most prosperous period during the early 2000s. They won a combined six league and cup titles in the first half of the decade but have fallen on harder times since.

Who is Djurgården's manager?

Djurgården's head coach doesn't hail from Sweden and instead originates from Finland. Jani Honkavaara has only been in charge of the club since December 2024, overseeing just 12 matches during his short reign thus far.

The 49-year-old's previous job was in his homeland, where he managed KuPS for almost two years - his second stint at the club. He has limited experience, certainly when it comes to European football, but he has helped guide Djurgården to the final four of the Conference League.

Djurgården finished fifth during the league phase and automatically qualified for the last 16 under former co-managers Kim Bergstrand and Thomas Lagerlof. But Honkavaara has since secured two-legged victories over Cypriot outfit Pafos and Austrian side Rapid Wien.

The Finnish coach favours a 4-2-3-1 formation - the same as Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca - but could take a more cautious approach against the Conference League's big-hitters.

Who are Djurgården's best players?

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Djurgården don't boast too many players that Chelsea supporters will be familiar with or scared of - although the older brother of Tottenham Hotspur's Lucas Bergvall, Theo, does represent the Swedish side - but Honkavaara does have several weapons at his disposal.

One-cap Norway international Tokmac Chol Nguen is their most fearsome attacking threat, with the 31-year-old attacking midfielder having managed eight goal contributions in the Conference League this season. Versatile forward Tobias Gulliksen has managed four goals in the competition, too.

But Djurgården have struggled for goals in recent matches despite firing four past ten and eventually nine-man Rapid Wien in the second leg of their quarterfinal tie. They have scored just twice in five league games in 2025 - Sweden's domestic season takes place over the course of a calendar year - and one of those was an own goal.

Have Chelsea ever played Djurgården before?

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Thursday's semifinal first leg in Sweden will be the first ever competitive meeting between Chelsea and Djurgården, but the Blues have faced Swedish opposition previously. They have won all four clashes with Malmo - the country's most successful club - and are unbeaten across four collective battles with Helsingborgs and Atvidabergs.

When it comes to Djurgården, they have only battled with English opposition on two occasions. Both clashes came against Manchester United in the 1964/64 Fairs Cup, where they drew and lost against the Red Devils.