HJK Helsinki captain Miro Tenho weighed in on his team’s Europa League odds after it was revealed they’d drawn Roma, Real Betis, and Ludogorets in Group C of the competition.
The Finnish international, 27, conceded it wouldn’t be easy for his side but reiterated his side have every intention of fighting for progression.
“We’re not just looking for an experience, we want to go through,” he told Helsingin Sanomat. “Artificial turf is our advantage. It’s totally different from normal grass.”
“It’s a crazy tough group. We were watching the draw with the guys and there were some happy faces in the group. We wanted to face a big club and we got Roma. It was a wonderful surprise.”
He added, “But we can’t complain. These matches are great exposure for us players. The Europa League is much bigger than the Conference League.”
“Roma and Betis are absolutely in a different category than us. But we can challenge Ludogorets when playing at home. We’ll certainly find some ways to challenge the big two as well. It’s unbelievable. If I’m in shape and get to play in Rome it will be unforgettable, I can’t wait.”
Finally, “Roma is on the rise with Mourinho, they have strong players. Then there’s Betis, who play beautiful football. However, I don’t know much about Ludogorets.”
