appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Associated Press

Agence France-Presse

Mjallby, a tiny team from a remote fishing village next to the Baltic Sea, won the Swedish league title on Monday for one of the most remarkable achievements in European football.
A 2-0 win at IFK Gothenburg ensured Mjallby held an unassailable 11-point lead over second-placed Hammarby with three rounds left in Sweden’s top league, Allsvenskan.
The improbable title triumph has been compared to Leicester winning the English Premier League in fairy tale fashion in 2016.
It is a first major trophy for Mjallby, a club from Sweden’s south coast whose team are made up of mostly locally born players, which play their home games in a 6,000-capacity stadium in the nearby village of Hallevik – population of around 800 inhabitants – and whose budget is far less than the biggest teams in the country.
“This was never something I thought would happen in my life,” said Mjallby striker Jacob Bergstrom, who scored one of the goals. “I’m so incredibly grateful to be part of this group. We show that the collective can take you incredibly far.”

Just nine years ago, Mjallby was one game away from dropping into Sweden’s fourth tier. The team stayed up, achieved back-to-back promotions in 2018 and 2019, and have been revitalised by the decision-making and strategies put in place by Magnus Emeus, a locally born businessman who became chairman in 2015.
“I had a fairly clear strategy from the start. You can never succeed on the field as long as there’s disorder off it, and the first thing to do is ensure the finances are balanced,” he said last week.
In 2024, they had a budget of 84.7 million kronor (US$9 million), about an eighth of that of Sweden’s richest club, Malmo, who are currently fourth and have won four of the past five titles.
This season, Mjallby – coached by Anders Torstensson, a school principal – have lost just one game and their 66 points are only one off Malmo’s record total in the 101-year history of Allsvenskan.
Last season, Mjallby achieved a club-record 50 points when finishing in fifth place. This season, they have conceded just 17 goals in 27 games.
“It’s a huge relief to experience this now, a relief with three games to go,” said Torstensson, a former army officer and secondary school teacher.
Torstensson is in his third stint as coach and his assistant is Karl Marius Aksum, who has a PhD in Visual Perception in Elite Football and had never coached at senior level before joining Mjällby.

Founded in 1939, Mjällby have typically played outside the top flight, flitting around the regional leagues.
Among their best players are Axel Noren, who recently received a first call-up by Sweden’s national team, and fellow defender Abdullah Iqbal, who is Pakistan’s captain.
Mjallby will play in the Champions League qualifying rounds next season, the first time the team have competed in European competition.
Unfortunately, it will not be at their home ground in Hallevik – a remote, rural village beside the Baltic Sea where fishing has long been the predominant industry – as their stadium does not meet Uefa safety standards.
“A reasonable goal would be to succeed in the qualifiers” to reach the league stage, coach Torstensson said.


Mother seeks justice 7 months after Thai-Swedish son’s fatal crash in Pattaya

New York fashion chief quits after physical clash with Peta activists goes viral

Australia’s backpacker visa cuts threaten working holiday dream

Sweden’s PM Kristersson resigns after left-wing wins slim majority in election

Sweden

Mjallby, a team from tiny fishing village, win Swedish league title on shoestring budget

Mjallby captain Jesper Gustavsson (right) and teammates celebrate after winning at Gothenburg to clinch the league title on Monday. Photo: Reuters

Mjallby had a budget of US$9 million, about an eighth of that of Sweden’s richest club, Malmo. Photo: AFP

Anders Torstensson, a school principal, is in his third stint as coach of Mjallby. Photo: AFP

Club from remote fishing village of 800 people on verge of Swedish football ‘fairy tale’

Mjällby’s squad is full of unheralded players who have never been in the position they are in. Photo: AP

Mjallby’s Jeppe Kjaer Jensen drives the ball in their 1-0 home win over Halmstad last month. Photo: AP

The Strandvallen stadium is “the nicest-situated football stadium in Sweden”. Photo: AP

Mjällby have lost only one match and are eight points ahead of their nearest rivals. Photo: AP

Manchester United and Liverpool old boys underwhelm in Hong Kong as fans stay away

Goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak injured his knee as he fell and gave away an early goal to John Arne Riise (left). Photo: Eugene Lee

Louis Saha (right) pulled a goal back with a first-half header for the Rio 11. Photo: Eugene Lee

Steven Gerrard (middle left) and his 11 celebrate their “RED on RED” win at Kai Tak Stadium. Photo: Eugene Lee

Sport

Football

The improbable title triumph, achieved with three games to go, has been compared to Leicester’s fairy-tale English Premier League win in 2016


The improbable title triumph, achieved with three games to go, has been compared to Leicester’s fairy-tale English Premier League win in 2016.


Uefa Champions League

Uefa

Mjallby, a team from tiny fishing village, win Swedish league title on shoestring budget

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The improbable title triumph, achieved with three games to go, has been compared to Leicester’s fairy-tale English Premier League win in 2016

The improbable title triumph, achieved with three games to go, has been compared to Leicester’s fairy-tale English Premier League win in 2016