Mjällby AIF won the Swedish championship last season and will qualify for European play in the Champions League qualifiers in summer 2026. The first two or three qualifier matches will be played at their home arena, Strandvallen, in Blekinge, but if the club advances to the group stage, home games will be moved to Olympia in Helsingborg. Strandvallen is being modernized to meet UEFA requirements for those qualifiers.
Sölvesborgs municipality has invested around 2 million kronor to adapt the stadium for European matches. UEFA representatives inspected the venue twice and left a protocol of 10 to 15 points to be addressed. The biggest adaptation is converting standing sections to seating with foldable chairs.
You shouldn't take anything for granted.
Other adaptations include adjustments for disabled access, a certain number of toilets, installation of backup power, investments in the grass pitch, dressing rooms, the area around the substitute benches, and the speaker system. Karl Marius Aksum, a 36-year-old Norwegian, has taken over as head coach of Mjällby this winter. Anders Torstensson, the championship-winning coach, has stepped aside and is now technical director of the club.
Mjällby has lost several key players after the championship: Alexander Johansson moved to Greece, Herman Johansson to FC Dallas in the USA, and goalkeeper Noel Törnqvist to Italian Como. In recent play, Mjällby defeated Brommapojkarna 3-0 at home in an Allsvenskan match. Ludwig Malachowski Thorell scored Mjällby's first goal in Allsvenskan 2026 in that match, with Jacob Bergström and Abdoulie Manneh also scoring.
You shouldn't take anything for granted. It's about continuing the development on and off the pitch.
The attendance was 3,512 spectators. Abdoulie Manneh left the match with some form of discomfort. Important players remain from last season, including Elliot Stroud, Abdoulie Manneh, Tom Pettersson, Jesper Gustavsson, and Jacob Bergström.
Mjällby has made eight new signings for the season. Sporting director Hasse Larsson says the squad is broader now than last season. Current challenges include national team absences, with eight of 23 players absent from training recently due to assignments.
It can't get any better than that.
Mjällby has reached the final of the Swedish Cup, where they will face Hammarby IF. For the season outlook, Mjällby and Hammarby are seen as clear favorites to compete for the championship this season.
Really nice. Good start to the match.
I still think it was too poor. We should be able to keep the ball more and play better. But it's acceptable anyway.
We need 34 points to feel secure.
Really nice, good start to the match. It can't get any better than that, to score a goal in the first few minutes. Nice.
Always in such situations you always think either a cross or a shot. I've had a good shot in training this week so it was just to try - and it went well.
I still think it's too poor. I think we should be able to hold the ball much more and play better. But it's acceptable and nice of course.