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Hammarby scores controversial goal in Allsvenskan opener

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Key Points
  • Hammarby scored a controversial goal in the Allsvenskan opener after the ball touched a player's arm.
  • Experts are divided on whether the goal should have been disallowed for handball.
  • Paulos Abraham, who scored the goal, later added another and dismissed concerns about the incident.

Hammarby scored the first goal of the 2026 Allsvenskan season in a match against Mjällby, but the goal was controversial. The ball touched Hammarby player Paulos Abraham's arm before he scored, leading to debate over whether it should have been disallowed for handball. Mjällby players protested the goal, but Abraham said he did not care much about the incident and later scored another goal.

SVT expert Jonas Eriksson stated the goal should have been disallowed for handball, while his colleague Magnus Eriksson disagreed, saying it was not handball. Expressen reported that expert Alexander Axén also believed the goal should have been disallowed, and John Guidetti criticized Mjällby's defense as catastrophic.

the goal should have been disallowed for handball

Jonas Eriksson, SVT expert

the arm was in a natural position

Magnus Eriksson, SVT expert

I was unsure if it was handball but did not care much as I scored another goal later

Paulos Abraham, Hammarby player

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How we verified this article

LowBased on 2 sources
2 sources5 Involved