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Malmö FF return to Champions League can inspire others

Cast your mind back to 1979, the Olympiastadion is the setting, and Malmö FF are on the brin...
Newstalk
Newstalk

15.44 28 Aug 2014


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Malmö FF return to Champions L...

Malmö FF return to Champions League can inspire others

Newstalk
Newstalk

15.44 28 Aug 2014


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Cast your mind back to 1979, the Olympiastadion is the setting, and Malmö FF are on the brink of creating Swedish football history. For the first time ever a Swedish club has reached the final of Europe’s elite competition and are within 90 minutes of lifting the trophy. Unfortunately, they meet Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest, and a single Trevor Francis goal finishes the game at 1-0. ‘What could have been’ will be the cry for at least another three decades of Swedish football, as others fail to reach the heights of Bob Houghton’s men in 1979.

After the heartbreak of 1979, The Blues continued to perform respectably into the early eighties. In 1985 current England manager Roy Hodgson brought with him a new philosophy, which insured domestic dominance for five years. Malmö won five Allsvenskan titles in a row and three Swedish cups in Hodgson’s spell at the club.
After Hodgson’s departure the club went through a tough spell in the nineties, which led them to being relegated to the second tier of Swedish football in 1999.

Enter Zlatan Ibrahimovic! His emergence as a rising talent fired Malmö back into the Swedish top flight, and ultimately sealed his move to Ajax in 2001.

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After years in the wilderness for a club with such an exceptional history, Malmö are now back in the Champions League. Last night saw them defeat Red Bull Salzburg 3-0 and qualified them into the group stages of the Champions League for the first time since the rebranding and re-formatting of the tournament. This is an absolutely momentous occasion for the club and its supporters who have spent years rebuilding the club to one day be in a position like this again.

Malmo's coach Age Hareide reacts after the UEFA Champions League play-off second leg soccer match between Malmo FF and FC Red Bull Salzburg at Malmo New Stadium in Malmo, Malmo won the match Sweden, 27 August 2014. EPA/BJORN LINDGREN

The complete structure of the club has changed in the last number of years, with a new stadium being built and youth development improving. Malmö are now a club being used as a model to others around the world. Shamrock Rovers, of the Airtricity League in Ireland, have spent a lot of time in the last number of years over in in Sweden trying to learn from Malmö’s underage set up and ‘B’ structure. The underage development and youth system at the ‘Swedbank Stadion’ is obviously working for Malmö who claimed their seventeenth Swedish title last season, with the youngest squad ever to win it since the turn of the century.

Magnus Eriksson’s 35 yard volley last night was crucial in sending Malmö into the Champions League group stages and the draw takes place today in Monaco. All associated with the club will be watching on with great intent to find out what ‘big boys’ will be coming to Sweden in the coming weeks.

One can imagine there is a certain man in Paris who will be watching the draw with his eyes peeled wider than most, set on a return trip to where it all began.

You can follow Ger Deegan (@GerraDeegan) on Twitter


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