Sweden: How a village club became a football sensation

They say miracles happen again and again when something seemingly inexplicable happens. But if you take a closer look, the miracle in the case of the Swedish football club Mjällby AIF is no longer so “miraculous”. If you take a closer look, it suddenly becomes very earthly and explainable.

The miracle looks like this: The small club from a 1,400-person village of Mjällby on the south coast of Sweden has just won the championship title for the first time in its history. MAIF is three match days before the end of the season and can compete in the Champions League qualification next summer. Who knows where the small club’s path will lead. Wild dreams are now allowed in the small town on the Baltic Sea coast.

There is great enthusiasm in Sweden. “The sensation is reality,” wrote the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet. The newspaper “Svenska Dagbladet” quoted the sports science professor Torbjörn Andersson, who claimed that the MAIF’s extraordinary success was “completely unique in the entire history of world football, including all countries.”

The story of the small outsider club that took over the entire Swedish football establishment from record champions Malmo FF until Hammarby leaves IF behind, but it’s also too nice. Some facts support the fairy tale: The MAIF only has the ninth highest market value of all 16 first division teams, the budget of the big clubs is many times higher. The team plays in a stadium in the neighboring town with a capacity of 7,500 spectators, the Strandvallen. As a rule, 5,000 people come to the home games. These are dimensions that are common in the 3rd or 4th league in Germany.

The success proves once again that meticulous work, a clear plan and an incredible amount of passion make miracles possible. In addition, the great success did not come overnight. After being promoted to the Allsvenskan (the name of the first Swedish league) in 2019, MAIF always achieved a single-digit place in the table with one exception. The southern Swedes, who play in yellow and black, were fifth twice, and in 2023 the club reached the cup final.

Club boss Jacob Lennartsson, 36 years old, stands for how to achieve the maximum under special conditions with professionalism and absolute passion. He comes from the area, played for the AIF in his youth, was in the fan curve, became a youth coach and club boss in 2022. Lennartsson told Kicker that the local fishermen “are a role model for us.” “They go out in the morning and take their boat. If it is broken, they repair it with their own hands. And then they go out, even if it’s raining or cloudy, and do their work because they love it.”

What sounds like folklore is carefully implemented in all areas in Mjällby. The association has pursued a consistent financial policy for years. Only what the club earns is spent. The top credo: no debt. In addition, clear sporting goals are defined, which can be broken down into small sub-goals. This goes so far that there are guidelines for ball possession in the opponent’s half.

All of this is controlled. If the team is behind its goals in one point, coach Anders Torstensson works on it. His assistant has written a doctoral thesis on visual perception in football, and such findings are also incorporated into training. The players meet with the team chefs twice a year to optimize the menu. A functioning scouting department that brings in professionals who are both physically and mentally suitable complements the successful model.

The strong team spirit holds the structure together. Many professionals live together in an apartment building. It is rumored that they sometimes meet up in the evenings to play a game of Risk. Belief in the collective replaces individual quality. “I would never have thought something like that,” said Jacob Bergström, one of the goalscorers in the win against IFK Göteborg, after the game. “I’m incredibly grateful to be part of this group. We’re showing that you can go incredibly far as a collective.”