Green, green ice of Friends Arena to greet Ireland

The exterior of Stockholm’s Friends Arena was turned green to celebrate St Patrick’s Day at the weekend, but groundstaff have a way to go to make the pitch green for Friday’s World Cup qualifier against Ireland.

Less than a week before the game, there was not a single blade of grass to be seen in the 50,000-seat arena, with the playing surface covered by a thick layer of ice for the national finals of the winter sport of bandy.

Asked last week if he was worried about the turnaround from ice to grass, Sweden coach Erik Hamren laughed as he answered: “Truly? Yes!”