Their unexpected title win last season grabbed headlines worldwide, largely because of Mjallby’s remote base. The club is rooted in Hallevik, a small seaside village in southern Sweden with fewer than 1,000 residents.
As Blekinge County’s strongest football side, Mjallby draw supporters from across the region, averaging home crowds of around 5,000 last season.
They also attract players like Bergstrom, who grew up about an hour north in Karlskrona, the county capital and a naval city where handball and ice hockey are more popular.
When Bergstrom returned to Mjallby in 2023 after a brief spell with Stockholm-based Djurgarden, he and his wife moved to Hallevik. It’s now home for them and their two children.
Hallevik is a quiet fishing village in winter, but in summer holidaymakers swell its population to four times the usual size.
Bergstrom likes to cycle to matches and training at Strandvallen, Mjallby’s home ground. It sits just 100 metres from the Baltic Sea, nestled among woodland, a campsite, and an outdoor pool.
Bergstrom says the combination of the ocean and the community is a big draw, describing the shoreline and beach as beautiful.
He adds that winters are quiet and not for everyone, but the place suits his family.