Il Solna FC is the new club that you should know

If the name Solna FC doesn't ring a bell, don't worry, you're not alone. The small club, born in the northern suburbs of Stockholm in the neighborhood of Hagalund, was founded in 2011 and immediately saw a great participation from the local community in the team's matches and initiatives. In 2018, the club established itself in the Stockholm Football Association 4th division north and has since become a meeting point for residents of the area. And for the upcoming season, Solna FC has decided to do things big, undergoing a very successful rebranding of its visual identity and creating, together with adidas, two game kits that highlight the social and aesthetic side of the club. Two attributes that must go hand in hand in the contemporary sports narrative, especially when it comes to such young clubs rooted in the local community. We reached out to the club to learn about a project that is as special as it is professional, proving that minor leagues don't always mean amateur projects.

In fact, football has been able to carve out a role in daily life and in the community, as explained by one of the board members, Iman Hazheer: "Football is everything. It’s everything. It’s love, it’s heartbreak, it’s camaraderie, it’s therapy. It’s something different for each and everyone, but you always find some sort of solidarity in it together. Football is a paradox – an infinite moment in time where you detach from the everyday problems and collectively obtain identity.". A philosophy that also found its echo in the rebranding operation, in which "every detail in our new brand has a meaning to the game and ties back to the neighborhood.". Another club member, Shahin Haghjou, tells us that it's important to know your own history. "That’s when you create something that feels authentic and genuine instead of just copying what’s already out there or follow trends. We knew that we wanted to include the neighborhood, its people and its visual features in our story, since our story is their story as well.". And the story of Solna FC is linked to its popular architecture, made up of rational buildings and collective spaces. "Our foundation will always be based on our roots. Our home. Whether it’s the blue architectural building blocks of Hagalund constructed during the million programme housing projects of suburban Sweden in the 60’s and 70’s – or our home ground Skytteholms IP – which in itself is legendary being the stomping grounds of footballing legends in Sweden.", Hazheer tells us again.

Of course, the most important step for the Stockholm club was the creation of game kits together with adidas, an important brand in Sweden, having been the sponsor of the Federation for over a decade. Hazheer is ecstatic about how the Three Stripes decided to collaborate with Solna FC: "adidas enabled a lower tiered division team from the suburbs of Stockholm, with less to no resources, to showcase their creative ability. They saw the vision and gave us a blank canvas to paint on, tell our story and the beauty of grassroots community led football". Two kits, one in dark blue and one in aquamarine, stand out with the new logo of the team, which gathers the most identifying symbols of the neighborhood. "We also show respect to football heritage through our crest with a classic monogram and our version of the Solna municipality sun, with 8 sun rays representing the 8 blue houses of Hagalund. The 8 is infinite and also represents other areas across the world that have the same lack of opportunities, but strive to overcome adversity and find solace through the love of the game". Here in Hagalund, Stockholm, football is not just a sport.