Sweden
After Hammarby lost momentum, AIK surged to the front of the queue in July and won the title for the first time in nine years, losing just one league game all season – a 2-0 reverse to Norrkoping, who finished runners-up. Playing the Final on their home ground in Stockholm, Djurgarden had little difficulty inflicting a 3-0 defeat on a theoretically stronger Malmo, with goals from Jacob Une Larsson, Kerim Mrabti and Jonathan Ring. AIK are bound for the first Champions League qualifying round, while Norrkoping and thirdplaced Malmo will start in the first pre-qualification stage of the Europa League. Djurgarden enter at the next stage.
Trelleborg and Dalkurd return to the Superettan, with their places going to Helsingborg, who won the second tier, and Falkenbergs. In the playoff, Brommapojkarna lost to and are replaced by Eskilstuna. Hacken’s Brazilian leftwinger Paulinho was a limitless source of attacking inspiration for the Gothenburg outfit, earning the domestic Golden Boot with 20 goals and making nine others. The mastermind of Malmo’s league title back in 2013, Rikard Norling brought the same Midas touch to bear at AIK. His strong suit was an ability to construct a defensive fortress – one which conceded just 16 goals in 30 league games. One of the rare rays of sunshine in a season of gloom for Brommapojkarna was 17-year-old winger Jack Lahne. Zambia-born but raised in the Stockholm region, he came through the club’s impressive academy.