THE Swedish Allsvenskan kicks off on Sunday, and as its proud new betting sponsor, Unibet are offering a wide array of odds. But what is Allsvenskan all about anyway? Here is a guide to get you started!
The big leagues are back. Why should I care?
Well, Allsvenskan is mightily exciting. Whereas many a football league these days is dominated by a small number of big sides, the Swedish top-flight is a bit different. Last year, three teams had a realistic title chance with 45 minutes of the season left, and Djurgården had to come back from two goals down at IFK Norrköping to clinch it. And this is but one example of the excitement Allsvenskan offers on a weekly basis.
Besides, while it is not the Bundesliga or the Champions League, the football is decent. And under normal circumstances, few European countries are a match to the Swedes in terms of terrace culture. The league is packed with rivalries (see below), and the big teams' supporters routinely make most English and indeed European ticket holders seem like church-goers in comparison. Of course, these are not normal circumstances, with games set to be played behind closed doors for the foreseeable future. But it is certainly worth the wait – and a visit!
What is the format?
Simple as you like: 16 teams facing each other home and away. Winner qualifies for the Champions League and the second and third-placed teams for the Conference League. The bottom two are relegated, while the 14th-placed side will face the third-placed team from the second tier, the Superettan, in a two-game relegation play-off.
So who are the big teams?
Something of a big six seems to be forming in Allsvenskan, consisting of Malmö FF, IFK Norrköping, BK Häcken and the three Stockholm sides AIK, Djurgården and Hammarby.
Malmö FF (23/20 for the title) are always the team to beat. Regular appearances in the group stages of European competitions have made MFF the richest club in the country, while their academy is a conveyor belt of talent. A year without the title is a year wasted for the Scanians, and they have just had two such years, so expect a reaction. Now coached by former Danish international Jon Dahl Tomasson, Malmö boast the kind of depth and quality few others can match.
However, you can do a lot worse than have a punt on Hammarby (3/1). The working class club from Southern Stockholm have only won the title once, in 2001, and recently had a terrible five-year spell in the Second Division that only ended in 2015. However, since that promotion, the club have improved dramatically and were involved in the three-team title race last year.
Many a neutral's favorite, Hammarby scored a whopping 75 goals last year to break the Allsvenskan all-time scoring record, and have now added long-time Allsvenskan star Paulinho to their already blistering attack. Expect goals! Zlatan Ibrahimovic invested in the club during the winter, angering many in his home town of Malmö, Just imagine if he actually dons the shirt some time during the season…
Djurgården (7/1) won a surprising title last year and have managed to largely hold on to their squad. Captain and centre-back Marcus Danielson was a huge loss, however, and even with him, the DIF defence was unconvincing in the Swedish Cup before the coronavirus outbreak. Theirs is hardly the strongest squad, but it is well assembled, and Kim Bergstrand and Thomas Lagerlöf are excellent, methodical coaches. Djurgården remain a viable black horse.
Rounding out the Stockholm trio are 2018 champions AIK (9/1). Their fourth-place finish last year was something of a let-down, but their squad remains strong especially in midfield and has been boosted by the addition of excellent Ghanaian midflieder Ebenezer Ofori. Defensive-minded head coach Rikard Norling has also flirted with a more open approach this year, so AIK are in with a shout.
Häcken (20/1) and IFK Norrköping (25/1) can beat anyone on their day, but are probably not good enough to launch a prolonged title bid. Häcken are the odd one out among the top six. Hailing from the island of Hisingen in Gothenburg, Häcken are not even the biggest club in their own city, and their attendance figures are unimpressive – last year's average gate of 3,631 was the second-lowest in the entire league. But they are the hosts of Europe's biggest youth tournament, the Gothia Cup, and that gives them the resources to punch above their weight.
Anybody on the outside looking in?
Classic European side IFK Göteborg (18/1) have had a few turbulent years with financial worries, boardroom turmoil and on-pitch disappointments, but things are looking brighter again for the two-time UEFA Cup Winners. Coached by the young and exciting Poya Asbaghi, Blåvitt finished seventh last year when many had expected them to face a relegation struggle. Having gained experience and added 18-cap midfielder Jakob Johansson, IFK have every chance of a top six finish, especially if they manage to get the centre-back they want and need.
Anyone else? Not really. The likes of Örebro SK, Elfsborg, Kalmar FF and Helsingborg and are in for an uneventful year, with no real hopes of European qualification, while relegation should not worry them either.
So who's going to struggle?
That leaves you with Östersunds FK, Mjällby, Sirius, Falkenberg and Varbergs BoIS.
What has happened to Östersund, who beat Arsenal at the Emirates as recently as 2018, you ask? Well, they have capitally mismanaged their finances – which they had gathered in suspicious ways anyway. Their former chairman Daniel Kindberg has been sentenced to three years in prison for bringing money to the club illegally (he has appealed the case). Now coached by Ian Burchnall, the squad does not impress. 9/4 for the drop, it may not be a question of whether they can stay up, but whether the club even stays in business until December.
Relegation favourites, however, are Allsvenskan debutants Varberg (2/5) and Falkenberg (4/5). The former are young and inexperienced. For lowly but sympathetic Falkenberg, every season in the top-flight is an overachievement, yet they are preparing for a fifth Allsvenskan season in seven years. Can they pull it off again?
Mjällby (6/4), another newly promoted side, should also have no business to play at the highest level. But the club from the small village of Hällevik in Southeast Sweden have had a good transfer window in relation to their resources and have every chance of beating the drop.
The likes of Sirius (5/2), Örebro (7/1) and Kalmar FF (9/1) are not sure-fire relegation candidates, but might be dragged in to the mud if results do not go their way or injuries accumulate.
What are the main rivalries?
Oh, there are plenty!
Let's start with Stockholm. The Tvillingderby (Twin Derby) between AIK and Djurgården is the longest-running, most prestigious and most hostile rivalry in Stockholm (and arguably in the entire country), but any fixture involving two of the three Stockholm teams is a heated and emotional affair. Games involving Hammarby are huge too!
The two biggest cities Stockholm and Gothenburg have a traditional rivalry (like e.g. Manchester and Liverpool), so games between IFK Göteborg and any of the Stockholm sides, but particularly AIK, are also steamy. Likewise, Malmö FF and the Stockholm clubs also have a history of not enjoying each other's company!
Elsewhere, IFK Göteborg and Malmö FF have a fierce rivalry as the most succesful teams in Swedish football history. Scanian derbies between Malmö and Helsingborg are not for the faint of heart either, but that fixture has sadly lost some ot its spark because of the clubs' widely contrasting fortunes in recent years.
Smaller rivalries that deserve a mention include the Västderby (Western Derby) between IFK Göteborg and Elfsborg, the Gothenburg derby between IFK and Häcken, matches between IFK Norrköping and Örebro SK and this year's novelty, the Hallandsderby between lesser lights Falkenberg and Varbergs BoIS.
Okay, you won me over. Where do I start?
The first round of fixtures takes place on Sunday the 14th and Monday the 15th of June. Odds are right here!
Juhavaltteri Salminen is a Finnish journalist and Scandinavian football expert. In a recent 'Nordic Glory' series, Juha tells the stories of Scandinavian sides' greatest triumphs in European competition. Click here to check out the 7-part series now.
