BK Hacken midfielder Erik Friberg is targeting a Scottish scalp as he bids to help his club secure a place in the group stage of European football for the first time.
The Swedish club will face the Dons next month in the second qualifying round of the Conference League, UEFA’s new third-tier European club competition.
With a place in the group stage of the tournament worth £2.58million to the clubs which qualify the new tournament remains a lucrative avenue.
Former Malmo, Seattle Sounders and Bologna striker Friberg, who has switched to a midfield role in the veteran stage of his career, believes his side can be one of the clubs to progress.
The 35-year-old said: “It is the first year you drive it so we will see a little how it will be. Now it still seems to be some money there if you go to a group game. It’s more money than you might have initially thought.
“There have not been so many teams from Sweden that have made it to a group game in Europe. If you get there and get a lot of money then it can be a good thing.
“We will see a little how the setup will be, but from what you hear, this can be a better tournament than you thought.
“It’s so much fun to meet other teams in Europe. It will be really nice and it will be every time. But we want to reach a group game because we have not done that before and that is what we are going for.”
Red Bull Leipzig and AZ Alkmaar have ended Hacken’s Europa League ambitions in the past and Friberg is philosophical about his club’s chances of beating Stephen Glass’ side next month.
He said: “It will be exciting. There were many tough teams we could get, then what is a good draw or not, it remains to be seen.
“If you win, is it a dream draw, if you lose, is it a nightmare draw.”
BK Hacken, much like the Dons, are a club in transition.
While Glass replaced Derek McInnes at Pittodrie in April the Swedish club has also made a new managerial appointment with Norwegian Per-Mathias Hogmo appointed on Saturday.
Hogmo replaces former boss Andreas Alm, who left the club on May 16 with the club rooted to the bottom of the Allsvenskan with one win from their opening eight league matches.
Alm has already found employment in Denmark with Odense while former Norwegian international captain Hogmo, 61, has appointed Englishman Martin Foyston as his assistant.
The former Rosenborg, Djurgarden and Tromso coach, who also managed the Norwegian women’s national team, has most recently been working as head of the Norwegian FA’s coach training programme.
Hacken will be looking to Hogmo to repeat the feat he did in 2013 of taking Djurgarden from 16th in the division to seventh after handing him the task of trying to guide the club to safety in the Swedish top-flight.
Hogmo is relishing his return to Swedish football.
He said: “It is an exciting club with many qualities. The meeting with the management gave me a solid impression.
“They are development-oriented with courage and ambition. These are values I like, and it gave me great motivation for the assignment.
“It’s a cool league. I had a good conversation with Age Hareide who has been to Sweden and Malmo, and he says the same thing. We have great respect for the Allsvenskan.”
