Mjällby AIF won the Swedish championship in 2025. According to major media reports, they lost only one match and set a new points record. They opened the 2026 season with a 3-0 home win against Brommapojkarna, with Ludwig Malachowski scoring the first goal of the season in the 5th minute. Jacob Bergström and Abdoulie Manneh added the other goals. However, Mjällby lost 0-2 against Örgryte in a match that was not the season opener; the loss occurred in a different competition or later in the league.
After the championship, Mjällby lost several key players: Alexander Johansson moved to Greece, Herman Johansson to FC Dallas, and Noel Törnqvist to Como. According to multiple reports, the club has made eight new signings for the 2026 season. As reported by Fotbollskanalen, sportchef Hasse Larsson believes the squad is broader than last season despite losing two key players. According to multiple reports, Abdoulie Manneh was not sold in the winter, and Mjällby resisted Abdullah Iqbal's desire to move. According to major media, Jacob Bergström scored eight goals during the preseason, more than he scored in the entire 2025 championship season. According to multiple reports, Mjällby defeated Malmö FF 4-0 in the Swedish Cup quarterfinal and GAIS 3-0 in the semifinal, and will face Hammarby in the Swedish Cup final in May.
We need 34 points to feel safe.
Mjällby's home arena Strandvallen is being modernized to meet UEFA requirements for Champions League qualifying. According to major media, Sölvesborgs kommun has invested around 2 million SEK in upgrading Strandvallen. According to multiple reports, the total investment for European readiness is 2.7 million SEK, financed equally by the municipality and Mjällby. According to multiple reports, UEFA representatives inspected Strandvallen twice and left a protocol of 10-15 points to be addressed. According to multiple reports, the largest adaptation is converting standing areas to seating for European matches. Mjällby will play the first two to three Champions League qualifying matches in Blekinge, but if they advance to the group stage, home matches will be moved to Helsingborg. Klubbchef Jacob Lennartsson stated that the cooperation with the Swedish Football Association, UEFA, and Sölvesborgs municipality has been key, and that Helsingborg's Olympia was chosen for its proximity, pitch quality, and accessibility.
According to major media, eight of Mjällby's 23 players were absent from training before the Allsvenskan premiere due to national team duties. According to major media, Elliot Stroud was selected for the Swedish national team for the World Cup playoff. According to multiple reports, Abdoulie Manneh was substituted in the second half against Brommapojkarna due to some form of discomfort. The exact nature and severity of his injury remain unclear.
That's right. 34 points as soon as possible and then enjoy and play football. We must not get carried away. If we don't win duels and do the dirty work that we're good at, we can't play.
According to major media, Karl Marius Aksum is the new head coach, taking over from Anders Torstensson who became technical director. According to Dagens Nyheter, Aksum described the high number of national team call-ups as a record for Mjällby, making training difficult, but said the group is doing well and feels ready for the season. According to Fotbolltransfers, Mjällby's target for the 2026 season is 34 points to feel safe, as stated by Jacob Bergström and Jesper Gustavsson. Gustavsson emphasized the need to avoid complacency and focus on hard work.
According to multiple reports, the match against Brommapojkarna had 3,512 spectators. As reported by Fotbollskanalen, sportchef Hasse Larsson described the squad as looking "really damn good" and noted that new signings from lower divisions need time but are quality players. According to Fotbollskanalen, Brommapojkarna's Kevin Ackermann admitted his team created too easily against them and did not live up to expectations in the first half.
It's a bit tongue-in-cheek, but it's also so we don't get carried away. We had a lot of luck last year too, scored goals at the right times. It's still about working hard.
I think the squad looks really damn good, actually.
It's a shame to say that these players are really just depth, because they are really good players. They clearly need some time, because they come from lower divisions.
They create too easily against us. We know we need to put in a good performance to get something here. The first half we didn't live up to that.
This is the result of hard work from our own organization and a very good cooperation with the Swedish Football Association, UEFA and Sölvesborgs municipality.
For us, it was important to find an arena that could meet our wishes for proximity for supporters, the quality of the pitch, and accessibility from the city and the home team. We think that Helsingborg and Olympia were an extremely good alternative based on these wishes and we are very pleased that it will be our venue for a possible league group stage in the autumn.