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Jardell Kanga has arrived from Ilves for an undisclosed fee on a three-year deal, with the club holding the option of a further year.

The 20-year-old makes the move from the Finnish top-flight club.

“Jardell is a player I have followed closely for a number of years,” Alfred Johansson stated.

“When Jardell was playing youth football, there were a number of occasions I tried to bring him into my team, but circumstances meant this didn’t happen. I have admired his ability for years, and I’m so pleased I’ll finally be able to work with him.

“He arrives in Scotland with a lot of attention for what he has achieved already in football, but I know in our environment, we can help him develop and grow further. As ever, we look forward to Jardell settling in with his new teammates and showing his quality.”

Kanga has been widely regarded as one of the hottest prospects to come out of Sweden, bursting onto the professional football stage with a bang. A product of the IF Brommapojkarna Academy in the Swedish capital, he became their youngest-ever player in 2021 when he featured in a first-team match, having shown an abundance of excitement, maturity and professionalism at the age of just 15.

But this debut was part of a wider success story for Kanga. At the age of just 15, he went on to play 23 games in the Swedish third division, scoring five goals in just under 1000 minutes played and starting 11 games. His performances helped his team achieve promotion to the second-tier of Swedish football, but Kanga caught wide-spread attention and subsequently joined Bayer Leverkusen.

Further media spotlight was put on Kanga in 2022, when he was named amongst the Guardian’s top 60 players to look out for born in 2005. Jardell’s name was placed alongside Desiré Doué, now of PSG, Mathys Tel of Tottenham Hotspur, Antonia Nusa of RB Leipzig and Arda Güler of Real Madrid.

Continuing his development with Bayer Leverkusen’s Under 17 and Under 19 sides, he joined De Graafschap on loan before returning to Sweden with Hammarby in 2024, signing a four-year contract with the Swedish outfit.

Across his almost two seasons with Ilves, Kanga has played 68 games for the Finns, scoring 18 goals and assisting 16 times. His maturity has been shown, having been given the captain’s armband on a number of occasions for matches.

Kanga continues to progress internationally also. He has played for the Swedish youth sides all the way up to the Under 21 level, where he made his debut last year.

“I’m glad this deal is complete and I can get started,” Jardell Kanga said.

“I know the manager, and this move makes a lot of sense for me. The style of play is perfect, the group of players are friendly and talented, and the club is ambitious. I watched the European games and have watched some of the other matches this season, so I know where I’ll want to be in this system.

“Our full focus is on the league now, and Sunday can’t come quick enough.”

Motherwell’s UEFA Conference League journey came to an end at SC Freiburg on Thursday night, following a 4-1 defeat in Germany. 

Despite the 7-2 aggregate scoreline, the Steelmen exited the competition with their heads held high following a valiant effort from the players, which saw Alfred Johansson’s side play with 10 men for over an hour across the two legs.

Derry Scherhant gave the hosts a lead on the night inside five minutes, which could have suggested a very long night ahead for Motherwell. But the reaction from Johansson’s men was a positive one, and Emmanuel Longelo levelled the game midway through the first-half.

With the second leg at 1-1 at half-time, a 4-2 aggregate scoreline to the Germans, the 1400 Motherwell fans were bouncing in the away end as their heroes battled against the Bundesliga side. But for the second time in the tie, Motherwell were reduced to ten men following a straight red card. Jake Girdwood-Reich was given his marching orders just shy of the hour mark, with SC Freiburg subsequently scoring from two corners shortly after to make it 3-1 on the night.

Keisuke Gotō put the icing on the cake for Freiburg, scoring in the final moments, but Motherwell had many positives to take across the two legs.

Travelling over to Germany for the second leg, Motherwell knew that if they were to make history by qualifying for the league phase of a European competition, they would have to overcome a 3-1 deficit from the first leg against last season’s Europa League finalists SC Freiburg.

With over 1,400 Motherwell fans making the journey and trying to be heard amongst the 30,000 home fans, Motherwell tried to implement their possession approach from the off in the intimidating atmosphere. Looking to keep things tight in the early stages and make the most of any attack, the game plan was impacted negatively inside five minutes when a pass was threaded through to Scherhant by Maximillian Eggestein, a constant threat on the left-hand side over the two legs, before coolly bending into the bottom corner past Alex Paulsen.

The stadium was rocking, and the 8,000 Freiburg Ultras were in full voice, but Johansson managed to calm his players as they began to steady the ship. The hosts were holding onto possession more, but Motherwell always looked sharp on the counter-attack, although no major chances were created.

Academy graduate Ewan Wilson was on hand to deny Scherhant a second of the night as the Steelmen continued to fight for everything. And everyone of a Motherwell persuasion was handed their big moment once again.

A SC Freiburg set-piece was defended, and once Ibrahim Said brought the ball down and set Longelo away into acres of space on the left-hand side, it looked as though a counter-attack was on. However, as Longelo arrived 25 yards from it, options were limited following his dash in the German humidity, so the full-back drilled a powerful effort towards goal. Goalkeeper Backhaus looked set to have the effort covered, but in the blink of an eye, the ball trickled from under his grasp and crept over the line to spark wild scenes in the away end.

Scherhant and Suzuki threatened once again for the host either side of the half-hour mark, but their strikes didn’t force Paulsen into any saves. The stadium held its breath when Wilson chased back and slid into Cyriaque Irie inside the penalty area, and the Italian referee ordered play to be halted. Wilson was insistent he got the ball, but after a lengthy check, the referee raised his hand for an offside during the attacking phase, and play continued.

Not long after, Motherwell then had a huge chance to take the lead. Alex Lowry curled a lovely ball up the line to Seb Palmer-Houlden; on his first start for the club, he tried to find the far left corner, but the keeper got a glove on the effort to send it wide.

The action wasn’t over in the first half, however, as Paulsen was forced into an excellent stop to keep Suzuki at bay, with Irie also thundering an effort off the bottom of the crossbar before the half was out, but in the end, both sides went into the interval on level terms.

A half-time change saw Tom Sparrow return from injury to replace Tawanda Maswanhise as Johansson looked to implement a strategy for the second period. But once again, the plans would have to be altered when Girdwood-Reich brought Scherhant down as he raced through on goal, and the referee ordered the defender off the pitch for a last-man tackle just before the hour mark.

Paulsen was then on hand to tip the subsequent free-kick over the bar for a corner from Scherhant, but from the resulting corner, the Steelmen would concede. Igor Matanovic evaded his marker to nod home inside the crowded penalty area to make it 2-1.

Just three minutes later, it was 3-1. Irie got up highest to head into the net as Freiburg scored their fifth goal from a set piece in the tie.

Freiburg showed no signs of letting up as they continued to motor forward and create chances. World Cup winner Matthias Ginter struck the post in the 67th minute, as Motherwell remained penned in their own half.

The game neared its conclusion, with Motherwell showing real character during these tough times. Substitute Goto made it 4-1 on the night before the game was out, in what seemed like a harsh aggregate scoreline over the piece. In the end, Freiburg showed their class and made the most of their dominance, but having progressed through two European ties to reach this stage, Johansson will be hoping his side can learn from the experience and take that into William Hill Premiership action.

Alfred Johansson’s post-match thoughts following 4-1 defeat to SC Freiburg.

“Whoever we’re up against, we’ll give it 100%.”

Jamie Knight-Lebel looks ahead to our second leg against SC Freiburg.

What a few weeks it has been for Motherwell Football Club.

The number of supporters attending matches at Fir Park, on the road domestically and in Europe has been exceptional. Indeed, for the last 12 months crowd numbers have been significantly up, and we can’t thank you enough for all of your support. The players and staff will never, ever take for granted the effort it takes for you to follow the team.

With over 1,400 Motherwell fans preparing to jet off to Germany later this week, the excitement is high for what will be an excellent trip for everyone to make memories on the continent with their friends and family.

However, as we stated last week, the club received fines of almost €20,000 for fan-related issues that had been flagged by UEFA.

We were fined €4,000 due to the blocking of passageways in the John Hunter Stand at Fir Park against Havnar Boltfelag.

In Helsinki against HJK, we were fined €15,000 for a group of Motherwell supporters who leapt over the barrier and LED advertising before entering the field of play.

The last time we played in European competition, we also received two fines for fan-related incidents.

Since communicating these recent fines, the club has received the cost of the repair work that HJK require for their LED advertisement boards. It is estimated that this will cost the club over €74,000.

Between this and the UEFA fines, we have already incurred fines / costs of close to €100,000 this season.

We are not targeting a specific group of supporters or anyone in particular for these matters, but if you know you jumped over the barrier, or even worse, entered the field of play, you know who you are. And we’re asking you to please restrain yourself should another celebratory moment arise. This moment created a lot of uncertainty, and the safety of the fans was compromised, as anyone could have been injured.

Last week during our home match at Fir Park against SC Freiburg, despite our calls for everyone to remain in the stands, UEFA flagged supporters jumping over the wall from the John Hunter Stand. Even one supporter entering the field of play is regarded by UEFA as a pitch incursion, and this is subject to an ongoing disciplinary decision. A second offence results in a minimum penalty of a further €24,000.

We fully appreciate how big these moments are, and we can all get a bit carried away. But such behaviour is taking things too far, and it’s causing a financial strain on the football club, as well as the further risk of harsher punishments growing.

The club has previously received fines, costs of damage to away stadiums and suspended ticket sanctions for other fan-related issues domestically. These have totalled almost £15,000 in recent seasons. We therefore need everyone to continue supporting the team, but in a responsible and safe manner. Please don’t be the person who causes stadium damage or brings further sanctions/fines on the club. We want more people to be in the stands, not less.

So, with this in mind, the football club would like to wish everyone a safe trip to Freiburg. We cannot wait to see a sea of claret and amber in the away end on Thursday night and throughout the day.

Everyone to Freiburg.

A detailed guide for all supporters travelling to Freiburg. 

 Match Details & Timings

• Fixture: SC Freiburg vs Motherwell FC
• Date: Thursday, 27 August 2026
• Kick-Off: 18:45 local time (17:45 BST)
• Venue: Europa-Park Stadion, Freiburg im Breisgau

How to Follow the Game

Tickets are on sale and you can buy yours by CLICKING HERE.

Getting to Freiburg

• By Air: Most fans are flying into EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg (BSL), Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden (FKB), or Frankfurt (FRA).
• Airport Transfers: FlixBus or local Deutsche Bahn (DB) trains connect Basel and Frankfurt directly to Freiburg Hauptbahnhof (Central Station).
• Local Transit: Match tickets typically double as a KombiTicket, giving you free travel on local VAG trams and buses to the stadium on matchday.

Europa-Park Stadion Guide

• Away Section: Motherwell supporters will be housed in the South-East corner (Blocks K and N).
• Getting to the Ground: Take Tram Line 4 from the city centre directly to the “Stadion” stop.
• Payment Policy: The stadium operates on a cashless system for food and drinks. Bring a debit/credit card or use smartphone payment.
• Key Regulation: Large bags and backpacks (bigger than A4 size) are not allowed inside. Storage drops are limited, so leave large bags at your hotel.

Supporters Guide

• The stadium and ticket offices open 2 hours before kick-off.
• At the Europa-Park Stadium, payment is possible in cash or by card.
• Next to the ticket office at entrance E4, there is a bag drop-off option.
• Travel information to the stadium can be found here: [Anreise & Parken | SC Freiburg]
• The stadium regulations can be found here: [Stadionordnung | SC Freiburg]

Fan Gathering Points & City Highlights

• Münsterplatz: The ultimate heartbeat of the old town. This grand cobblestone square surrounds the historic cathedral and is packed with cafes and traditional taverns like Ganter Brauereiausschank.
  • The Matchday Lunch: Visit the daily morning market on the square (07:30–13:30) to try a “Lange Rote”—Freiburg’s legendary 35cm-long grilled sausage served in a roll.

• A group of Motherwell supporters are gathering at Münsterplatz from 2pm, and will walk to Freiburg HBF at 4:45pm. Supporters will then be getting trams to the stadium.

• Augustinerplatz: Just a short walk from Münsterplatz, this lively central square is lined with local beer halls and is the primary spot for traveling fans to congregate. Try Feierling brewery around the corner for fresh house beer.
• Schlossberg (Kanonenplatz): Walk up the hill overlooking the old town for incredible panoramic photos of the city, stadium, and the Black Forest before heading to the match.

Emergency Contacts & Safety

• General European Emergency Number: 112 (Call for Ambulance & Fire—free from any mobile phone, no SIM card required).
• German Police (Polizei): 110 (Direct line for non-medical police emergencies).
• British Embassy Berlin: +49 (0) 30 204570 (For urgent consular assistance, such as losing your passport. They offer 24/7 phone support for emergencies).
• Medical Non-Emergency: 116 117 (German on-call medical service if you need a doctor but it is not a life-threatening emergency).

Watch Live from UK

The match is being broadcast live on Premier Sports.

Weather Forecast

It is to be dry all day on Thursday, with sunny intervals and light breezes. Temperatures will be around 30 degrees at kick off.

Please Enjoy the Match Responsibly

We want to remind all supporters that unacceptable conduct will not be tolerated. We ask all supporters to enjoy the match responsibly.

In UEFA matches, UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body can issue and distribute a range of punishments against the football club, including fines, partial stadium bans, away ticket bans, etc.

The club has been fined over €20,000 so far during our Conference League matches. These fines have been distributed due to crowd-related issues that have been flagged by UEFA. Just one supporter coming over the barrier at the front of the stand constitutes a pitch incursion, and the club will be sanctioned once again.

We appeal to all our supporters to please adhere to all stadium guidelines to avoid further financial punishment for the club.

The use of pyrotechnics, pitch incursions, throwing objects, use of laser pointers and any discriminatory behaviour can result in any individual receiving a club ban, a football banning order as well as harsher punishments. We encourage all supporters to get behind the team on what is a huge European night for the football club in a safe and responsible manner.

Motherwell B face Alloa Athletic in their second KDM Evolution Trophy match. 

They travel to Indodrill Stadium on Tuesday 25 August. Kick off is 7:45pm.

You can buy your tickets online by CLICKING HERE.

Prices

• Adults: £12
• Senior Citizens (over 65): £8
• Juveniles (under 18): £5
• Disabled: £8
• Carers: £8

Car parking is available at Morrisons and town centre car parks. There is no charge.

There is a communal disabled area under the main stand, which offers cover from inclement weather.

Motherwell take on SC Freiburg in the second leg of their UEFA Conference League playoff tie at the Europa-Park-Stadion on Thursday 27 August. 

Kick off is 6:45pm (5:45pm UK Time).

How to Follow the Game

Tickets are on sale and you can buy yours by CLICKING HERE.

Supporters can buy a maximum of four tickets per order. We have been given over 2000 tickets to sell.

We have sold 1,400 tickets already for the match and wish all supporters a safe trip to Germany.

Prices

Watch Live From UK

The match is being broadcast live on Premier Sports.

Supporters Guide

• The stadium and ticket offices open 2 hours before kick-off.
• At the Europa-Park Stadium, payment is possible in cash or by card.
• Next to the ticket office at entrance E4, there is a bag drop-off option.
• Travel information to the stadium can be found here: [Anreise & Parken | SC Freiburg]
• The stadium regulations can be found here: [Stadionordnung | SC Freiburg]

A group of Motherwell supporters are gathering at Münsterplatz from 2pm, and will walk to Freiburg HBF at 4:45pm. Supporters will then be getting trams to the stadium.

A full supporters guide will be published later this week for those travelling to Germany.

Weather Forecast

It is to be dry all on Thursday, with sunny intervals and light breezes. Temperatures will be around 30 degrees at kick off.

Motherwell’s Fortunes

The Steelmen enjoyed a free weekend having postponed their match against Aberdeen. This allowed for some much needed rest and recovery following a heavy schedule.

In the first leg, Stephen O’Donnell returned to action as he came on as a second-half substitute. Eythor Bjørgolfsson and Apostolos Stamatelopoulos were both named in the UEFA squad list for this tie, but their fitness will be assessed ahead of travel.

Opposition Report

Freiburg played their first competitive match in Germany on Sunday, playing a German Cup match against Fortuna Dusseldorf. Freiburg cruised into the next round, winning 5-1 away from home. Igor Matanovic scored twice, despite not starting the match.

Talented young goalkeeper, Kayla Scott has joined the club permanently from Celtic. 

The Celtic academy graduate has risen through the ranks at Parkhead, whilst gaining senior experience for Ayr United last season. 

“I’m really pleased and excited to be at Motherwell,” Scott said. 

“It’s an incredible opportunity for myself to learn from the talented goalkeepers already at the club, and try to compete for experience in the Scottish top-flight. 

“I can’t wait to get started.” 

The youngster has featured alongside several current and former Motherwell players internationally, representing the Scottish schools team alongside Emma Thomson, Laura Berry, Mia McArthur, Lily Boyce, Sophie Black, Sophia Martin, and Lucy Barclay. 

“We’re really happy to get this move over the line,” Head Coach Iain Robinson added. 

“Kayla is a very talented young goalkeeper, that is eager to compete for game time at this level. 

“It is the perfect opportunity for her to develop whilst raising competition for the goalkeepers already at the club.