Mjällby, a small club from a remote fishing village by the Baltic Sea, claimed the Swedish league title on Monday, marking an extraordinary feat in European soccer.
Their 2-0 victory against IFK Gothenburg guaranteed Mjällby an insurmountable 11-point lead with three matches left in Sweden’s top division, Allsvenskan.
This unexpected triumph has drawn comparisons to Leicester City‘s fairy tale victory in the English Premier League in 2016.
This is Mjällby’s first major trophy, coming from a club predominantly composed of locally born players. They play their home games in a 6,000-seat stadium located in the nearby village of Hällevik, which has a population of around 800, and operate on a budget considerably lower than that of the country’s biggest teams.
“I never imagined this would happen in my lifetime,” expressed Mjällby striker Jacob Bergström, who netted one of the goals. “I’m incredibly thankful to be part of this group. We’ve demonstrated that teamwork can lead to remarkable achievements.”
Only nine years ago, Mjällby was one match away from relegation to Sweden’s fourth tier. They managed to stay in the league, achieved consecutive promotions in 2018 and 2019, and have been revitalized under the leadership of Magnus Emeus, a local businessman who became chairman in 2015.
This season, under coach Anders Torstensson—who also works as a school principal—Mjällby has lost just once and amassed 66 points, only one short of Malmö’s record total in the 101-year history of Allsvenskan.
Next season, Mjällby will participate in the Champions League qualifying rounds for the first time in the club’s history.
The match in Gothenburg faced a brief stoppage time delay as some Mjällby fans attempted to rush onto the pitch in celebration, but they returned to the stands after the players urged them to settle down.
As the final whistle blew, substitutes, coaches, and staff rushed onto the field to congratulate the team, later celebrating with the yellow-and-black-clad fans behind one of the goals.
Founded in 1939, Mjällby has predominantly played outside the top tier, bouncing between regional leagues over the years.
The club’s home games are hosted at the picturesque Strandvallen, a 6,000-capacity ground located in Hällevik, a quaint village where fishing has traditionally been the mainstay industry.
Torstensson is serving his third term as coach, with Karl Marius Aksum as his assistant. Aksum holds a PhD in Visual Perception in Elite Football and had not coached at a senior level prior to his arrival at Mjällby.
Mjällby recorded a club record of 50 points last season, finishing fifth.
This season, they have allowed only 17 goals in 27 matches.
Key players include Axel Noren, who recently earned his first call-up to the Swedish national team, and fellow defender Abdullah Iqbal, who captains Pakistan.