Nine hours, two trains, one bus. The destination? Hallevik, home of Sweden’s new champions. Planning a trip from the capital, Stockholm, to this fishing village on the southern coast isn’t easy, but the journey itself helps you grasp the scale of what Mjallby has achieved.
Unlike the stadiums of Malmo, Hammarby, Djurgarden or AIK, Strandvallen isn’t in a big city surrounded by buildings.
Driving through Hällevik, only a yellow sign among the camping park directions stands out, showing where to turn. And it’s only after walking nearly 300 meters that you finally see the stage where the dream became reality.
"If it weren’t for this title, we’d never have a Portuguese journalist here in Solvesborg. That’s how important this is - it helps people pay attention and realise how beautiful this area is," says Gull-Brit Norberg, a fan waiting at the club’s entrance with a gift for the players.
It doesn’t take long to see what makes this team special. This isn’t a Leicester story - yes, the Foxes defied the odds in the Premier League, but with the deep pockets of a wealthy owner who made smart investments.
In 2016, while Europe was falling in love with N’Golo Kante, Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy at King Power Stadium, Mjallby was fighting for survival. In the third division, battling to avoid dropping to the fourth tier, this fishing club was trying not to go bankrupt in a system where private investors can’t take over the club - the 50+1 rule.
Yet, from their lowest point, they managed a meteoric rise. Four years later, they were back in the top flight; nine years on, they were celebrating a historic title.
"This is historic for Swedish football - I can’t even describe it. At the start of the season, nobody believed, not even us. We knew we had a good team, capable of great things; last season was the best in the club’s history and we still weren’t satisfied. Now we’re champions," Elliot Stroud told us.
The secret
We entered the club’s home and quickly began to understand how such a modest club reached the top so fast.
The squad, lively, was having breakfast and chatting, while the club staff, busy with their daily tasks, still found time to greet this stranger, ask what he needed, and invite him for coffee or a bite to eat. A humble club, just like the community around it, but always welcoming.
"This title means everything. Mjallby fans have been through tough times, not many moments of joy, so being able to give something back to this community is really special," says Jacob Bergstrom, who scored the first goal in the win over Goteborg that sealed the title.
"In that moment, your whole career flashes before your eyes - everything led to that goal, proof that it was all worth it."
Jacob, Elliot Stroud, Herman Johansson, Abdullah Iqbal, and Romeo Leandersson have all written their names into Swedish football history, each playing their part in Mjallby’s title run. And none of them hesitates when asked about the secret.
"We have great team spirit, good players, good coaches. It’s amazing to see how Mjallby avoided bankruptcy in 2016, took small steps every year - just enough to keep moving forward. It’s been incredible, and the results speak for themselves," Bergstrom explains.
"Hard work, never giving up, and we combine that with a good coach and scouts. Whoever comes here adapts to the highest level. Those are some of the keys," Johansson adds.
It’s the story of a region that suffered greatly from the collapse of the leather industry in the 21st Century, but managed to survive and stay active.
'You don’t come here for the money'
Except for Romeo, a homegrown talent, all of them reached the Allsvenskan thanks to Mjallby, coming from lower-league clubs. Their recruitment is anything but random.
"We try to find young players with special character who want to come to this small village, work hard, and then use the opportunity to move on. We’ve already sold two players to Italy (Noel Tornqvist and Arvid Brorsson), so this is a great place for young players to grow and take the next step," sporting director Hasse Larsson told us during training
"I’ve been here 46 years and I still can’t believe it - it’s the club’s greatest achievement."
"You don’t come to Mjallby for the money or for life outside football. You come to play, because we have a good group, to work hard. Many of our players have worked and played football, and they’re grateful to be in the Allsvenskan and call this their job," said Bergstrom, who joined in 2016 from modest Ronneby.
The sense of belonging is so strong that even those who had the chance to leave in the summer wanted to stay and chase a dream.
"There were talks in the summer, clubs approached me, I wasn’t sure because there’s no guarantee you’ll win. But we decided to give everything for the medal - I needed some time to process it, to focus on Mjallby, and in the end it was the best choice," revealed Herman Johansson, signed from Sandvikens in 2020.
The moment
This season was historic, but there are plenty of examples of teams that start well and fall apart somewhere along the way. Mjallby, however, showed true champion consistency, finishing the season with the Allsvenskan points record - adding another layer of surprise.
But the question remains: when did the players realise it was really possible? The answers vary.
"We had so many special games that made us think things would go well, but I think when we beat Malmo away, the biggest team in the country, and played really well, we deserved that win, it wasn’t just a 0-1 from a corner. That’s when we realised it was possible," explained Stroud, echoed by Romeo Leandersson.
"The match against Brommapojkarna, where we won with 10 men, came from behind to score - that’s when we knew we’d find a way to win," said Bergstrom and Johansson.
Abdullah Iqbal, the first Pakistani to win a top-flight league in Europe, was more pragmatic: "This was my first full year here, so I wanted to wait until we’d played every team once. After that, I realised we could beat them all."
Future
With the season over and the title secured, Mjallby now looks ahead to 2026 with the UEFA Champions League anthem in mind. The team will enter the second qualifying round, knowing they won’t be able to play at their modest Strandvallen. But that detail doesn’t wipe the smiles off anyone’s faces.
"It’s crazy - when I signed in the third division, I never thought this would be possible. It’s going to be wild," Jacob Bergstrom grinned.
Herman Johansson is dreaming even bigger: "It’s so hard to think about the future. Bodo/Glimt is from a village in Norway and reached the Europa League semi-finals. We shouldn’t set limits. We need to keep testing ourselves and continue this journey."
And it’s the chance to play in the Champions League that keeps a smile on Hasse Larsson’s face when he thinks about the future.
"We’re going to play in the Champions League - lots of players will want to be part of that. We’re not afraid. Two or three players will leave, but we’ll find new ones. The future is bright. We have a good academy, strong finances, quality people at the club. We can’t slow down - we have to keep working," he concluded.
Hard work and belief - the ingredients for a fairy tale that’s becoming increasingly rare in a football world ruled by money.
