Swedish season.... so far in MAY

[david in sweden]

I've always followed the habit of never taking a serious look at any League tables until the 6th or 7th game....and this season it has proven almost nothing.

 

After 7 games the League leaders are last years champs. Norrköping and Sweden's regular CL contestant Malmö.

Although Malmö were awarded 3 points as a result of a 0-0 game (against Gothenburg) was abandoned after a firework thrown onto the pitch, hit a Malmö player and deafened a linesman. Fireworks at Swedish games are approaching European proportions at some clubs, and matches can seem more like Guy Fawkes Night than a game of football.

 

Most other clubs have suffered ups-and-downs in form, ranging from big wins to embarrassing defeats, with almost everyone able to beat everyone else.

 

Malmö suffered a surprise upset when they lost the Swedish Cup Final to the Gothenburg club Häcken, a yo-yo club usually cannon-fodder for big teams.

Unlike England, where the FA Cup Final is a big glory day, the Swedish Cup creates as much excitement as talk of the JP Trophy did in Premiership Boardrooms,

and the Swedish Cup has so little prestige here that it is played out in group stages pre-season as a sort of preparation for the "real season ".

However, after battling through ET after a full time 2-2 draw, Häcken won a penalty shoot out to gain their first ever major trophy.

 

If they get relegated - yet again this season - at least they will have something memorable to rejoice over.

The gap between Superettan (Championship) and Allsvenskan (read.Prem.) is as large as in England as newcomers Falkenberg have found out with just 4 points from their first 7 starts, and their first-ever appearance at the top level may well be short-lived.

 

Surprisingly early summer weather (23 deg.yesterday) may help provide brighter football, but Häcken may have already seen the best day of their season. The only greater success for the likes of Häcken (and Falkenberg) may be surviving in the top tier.

 

Now we roll on until the mid June summer break, when some club fortunes have been known to change dramatically....