+ AIK
Ranking 2022: 5.
Coach: Andreas Brännström (new).
SM gold: 12.
Players in (in selection): Jimmy Durmaz, mf, clubless, Viktor Fischer, mf, Royal Antwerp (loan), Omar Faraj, anf, Levante, Abdussalam Magashy, mf, IFK Värnamo, Aboubakar Keita, mf, Charleroi.
Players out (in selection): Yasin Ayari, mf, Brighton, Nabil Bahoui, nf, Qatar SC, Nicolás Stefanelli, nf, Miami, Sebastian Larsson, mf, finished, Mikael Lustig, b, finished, Per Karlsson, b, finished.
Comment: Veterans Sebastian Larsson, Mikael Lustig and Per Karlsson have put their shoes on the shelf. However, new coach Andreas Brännström can be happy that “Gnaget” has brought in, among others, former national team star Jimmy Durmaz, Danish striker Viktor Fischer and Abdussalam Magashy, who was successful in Värnamos’ midfield last year.
+ The Bromboys
Position 2022: 1 (super one).
Coaches: Olof Mellberg and Andreas Engelmark (new).
SM gold: None.
Players in: Oscar Linnér, mv, Ålborg, Samuel Kroon, mf, Halmstad, Viktor Agardius, b, IFK Norrköping, Kevin Ackermann, mf, Örgryte, André Calisir, b, Silkeborg.
Players out: Wilmer Odefalk, mf, Djurgården, Oscar Krusnell, b, Haugesund, Robin Frej, b, Gais, Lucas Bergvall, mf, Djurgården, Jonas Olsson, mv, Degerfors.
Comment: Christer Mattiasson has left. Instead, Olof Mellberg is back on the coaching bench, now together with Andreas Engelmark, with whom the former national team defender will share the main responsibility. The last time it happened, Mellberg piloted BP from Norretta to the Allsvenskan, but left the club as he did not have a license to train in Sweden’s highest league. Does he keep BP in the Allsvenskan now?
+ Degerfors
Ranking 2022: 13.
Coaches: Andreas Holmberg and Tobias Solberg (since 2019).
SM gold: None.
Subs: Sondre Rossbach, mv, Odds BK (loan), Peter Gwargis, mf, Malmö FF (loan), Fortune Bassey, anf, Ferencváros (loan), Damjan Pavlovic, mf, Rijeka (loan), Seid Korac, b, Esbjerg.
Players out: Anton Kralj, b, Hammarby, Johan Bertilsson, mf, Karlstad, Jeff Gal, mv, Chicago, Alfie Whiteman, mv, Tottenham (loan ended), Adam Carlén, mf, IFK Göteborg.
Comment: Avoided a negative qualification thanks to a better goal difference than Varberg. Missing a reliable goalscorer – Diego Campos won the internal goalscoring league on five complete hits. Will Fortune Bassey be the solution to that problem? The Nigerian striker has fresh experience from Champions League games with Viktoria Plzen, where last autumn he faced giants such as Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Inter. However, without netting.
+ Djurgården
Placement in 2022: 2.
Coaches: Kim Bergstrand and Thomas Lagerlöf (since 2019).
SM gold: 12.
Players in: Oliver Berg, mf, Kalmar, Jacob Bergström, anf, Mjällby, Carlos Moros Gracia, b, Mjällby, Wilmer Odefalk, mf, Brommapojkarna, Oskar Fallenius, mf, Brøndby.
Players out: Hjalmar Ekdal, b, Burnley, Emmanuel Banda, mf, Rijeka, Kalle Holmberg, ex, Hamrun Spartans, Aleksandr Vasiutin, mv, Zenit St. Petersburg (loan ended), Albion Ademi, ex, IFK Värnamo (loan) .
Comment: Djurgården will win the Allsvenskan in 2023 – at least according to the Swedish media and football experts who voted for the Allsvenskan kick-off. The tip is not surprising considering last year’s season, when Dif fought for the SM gold and also impressed greatly in the Europa Conference League.
+ Elfsborg
Ranking in 2022: 6.
Coach: Jimmy Thelin (since 2018).
SM gold: 6.
Players in: André Boman, mf, Varberg, Melker Uppenberg, mv, AFC Eskilstuna.
Players out: Leo Väisänen, b, Austin FC, Oscar Aga, af, Rosenborg, Rasmus Alm, af, St Louis City, Simon Strand, b, Hammarby.
Comment: Jimmy Thelin has an interesting squad in which, among others, Niklas Hult and Sebastian Holmén, both returnees this summer, are now with them from the start. Alexander Bernhardsson, Jeppe Okkels and Jakob Ondrejka are other players who give Elfsborg fans reason to hope for a good season.
+ Halmstad
Position 2022: 2 (super one).
Coach: Magnus Haglund (since 2019).
SM gold: 4.
Players in: Viktor Granath, af, Västerås, Naeem Mohammed, af, Sandviken, Benjamin Hjertstrand, b, Örebro, Villiam Granath, mf, Skövde, Gustav Friberg, b, Skövde.
Players out: Samuel Kroon, mf, Brommapojkarna, Sadat Karim, nf, Apollon Smyrnis, Mikael Boman, nf, clubless, Emil Tot Wikström, mf, Brage, Alexander Berntsson, b, Jönköpings Södra.
Comment: Attack duo Mikael Boman and Sadat Karim have left. Halmstad instead places its hope in two shooting kings from last year. With his 24 goals, Viktor Granath took home the top scorer’s league and also became the player who scored the most goals in the series during one season. Naeem Mohammed, for his part, became goal king in the north with 23 complete hits in 25 games. Is it enough to stick around?
+ Hammarby
Ranking in 2022: 3.
Coach: Martí Cifuentes (since 2022).
SM gold: 1.
Players in: Viktor Djukanovic, nf, Buducnost Podgorica, August Mikkelsen, nf, Tromsø, Tesfaldet Tekie, mf, Go Ahead Eagles, Adi Nalic, mf, Malmö FF, Simon Strand, b, Elfsborg.
Players out: Gustav Ludwigson, af, Ulsan Hyundai, Darijan Bojanic, mf, Ulsan Hyundai, Veton Berisha, af, Molde, Mohanad Jeahze, b, DC United, Jeppe Andersen, mf, Sarpsborg.
Comment: There has been a mass exodus from Söder where leading players such as Ludwigson, Bojanic and Jeahze have left. “Bajen” has, however, chosen to bet on the talents Jusef Erabi and Montader Madjed and picked up Montenegrin national team member Djukanovic. Is it enough to fight for the SM gold?
+ The hedge
Ranking 2022: 1.
Coach: Per Mathias Høgmo (since 2021).
SM gold: 1.
Players in: Simon Sandberg, b, Hammarby, Ola Kamara, af, DC United.
Players out: Alexander Jeremejeff, af, Panathinaikos, Erik Friberg, mf, finished, Alexander Faltsetas, mf, Utsikten, Jasse Tuominen, af, KuPS, William Milovanovic, mf, FC Koper.
Comment: Celebrated the club’s first SM gold last year. But have now lost the shooting king Alexander Jeremejeff. Can the Hisingslaget combine European qualification with Allsvenskan play? And will the trio Mikkel Rygaard, (eleven goals) Ibrahim Sadiq (seven) and Oscar Uddenäs (seven) reach the same heights this year?
+ IFK Gothenburg
Ranking in 2022: 8.
Coaches: Alexander Tengryd and William Lundin (interim, since 2023).
SM gold: 18.
Players in: Elias Hagen, mf, Bodø/Glimt, Sebastian Hausner, b, Århus, Sebastian Ohlsson, b, clubless, Anders Trondsen, b, clubless, Adam Carlén, mf, Degerfors.
Players out: Hosam Aiesh, mf, FC Seoul, Warner Hahn, mv, Kyoto Sanga, Mattias Bjärsmyr, b, ended, Carl Johansson, b, Randers (loan), Simon Thern, mf, IFK Värnamo.
Comment: It continues to storm around “Blåvit”. With only weeks left until the Allsvenskan premiere came the news that coach Mikael Stahre will be fired. Instead, it will be the former assistant coaches Alexander Tengryd and William Lundin who will share the main responsibility while the search continues for a permanent solution.
On the pitch, Blåvitt can hope that new Norwegian midfielder Elias Hagen lives up to expectations.
+ IFK Norrköping
Ranking 2022: 12.
Coach: Glen Riddersholm (since 2022).
SM gold: 13.
Players in: Isak Ssewankambo, b, clubless, Vito Hammershøy-Mistrati, mf, Cluj, Yahya Kalley, b, Groningen (loan), Marcus Baggesen, b, Silkeborg, Victor Lind, anf, Midtjylland (loan).
Players out: Jonathan Levi, mf, Puskás Akadémia, Linus Wahlqvist, b, Pogon Szczecin, Godswill Ekpolo, b, Apollon Limassol, Viktor Agardius, b, Brommapojkarna, Egzon Binaku, b, Gais.
Comment: Arnór Sigurdsson is one of the series’ most highly regarded offensive players and will be a key if Norrköping is to lift from the unsuccessful last year. The Icelander’s loan expires this summer, but Sigurdsson himself has said that he refuses to return to Russia and CSKA Moscow. The difference between a good and a bad season can depend on whether “Beijing” gets to keep the 23-year-old over the autumn or not.
+ IFK Värnamo
Ranking 2022: 10.
Coach: Kim Hellberg (since 2021).
SM gold: None.
Players in: Gustav Engvall, af, Mechelen, Marco Bustos, mf, Pacific FC, Simon Thern, mf, IFK Gothenburg, Viktor Bergh, b, Norrby, Emin Grozdanic, b, Gais.
Players out: Marcus Antonsson, nf, al-Adalah, Abdussalam Magashy, mf, AIK, Robin Tihi, b, AIK (loan ended), Francis de Vries, b, Eastern Suburbs AFC, Haris Avdiu, nf, Karlstad.
Comment: The big question is how Värnamo will cope without Marcus Antonsson. The striker was a strong contributor to the newcomer securing a new contract after scoring 20 of the Småland’s total of 34 goals. Now Värnamo has brought in Gustav Engvall. Can the former IFK Gothenburg and Djurgården striker fill Antonsson’s shoes?
+ Kalmar
Ranking in 2022: 4.
Coach: Henrik Jensen (new).
SM gold: 1.
Players in: Robert Gojani, mf, Silkeborg, Mileta Rajovic, nf, Næstved, Saku Ylätupa, nf, Gif Sundsvall.
Players out: Oliver Berg, mf, Djurgården, Filip Sachpekidis, nf, APO Levadiakos, Sebastian Nanasi, mf, Malmö FF (loan ended), Victor Backman, mf, Örebro, Papa Diouf, nf, Brindisi.
Comment: Just as in Värnamo’s case, the focus is on the outgoing account. Oliver Berg was Kalmar’s top scorer last year with nine hits. Now the Norwegian has left for Djurgården. New Danish coach Henrik Jensen must hope that his compatriot Mileta Rajovic keeps up the sharp goalscoring form that the striker has shown in the Danish top and second leagues in the past year.
And above all – does Jensen manage to replace the successful coach Henrik Rydström?
+ Malmö FF
Ranking in 2022: 7.
Coach: Henrik Rydström (new).
SM gold: 22.
Players in: Anton Tinnerholm, b, NY City FC, Derek Cornelius, b, Vancouver, Taha Ali, nf, Helsingborg, Stefano Vecchia, nf, Rosenborg, Gabriel Busanello, b, Chapecoense.
Players out: Ola Toivonen, nf, ended, Dennis Hadzikadunic, b, Rostov (loan ended), Erdal Rakip, mf, Antalyaspor, Felix Beijmo, b, Aarhus (loan) Jo Inge Berget, nf, out of contract.
Comment: After last year’s fiasco, the pressure is great on Henrik Rydström. Will Kalmar’s successful coach manage to get the perennial gold aspirant MFF to fight at the top this year? And will he continue to be trusted even if the results don’t come immediately?
+ Mjällby
Ranking 2022: 9.
Coach: Anders Torstensson (new).
SM gold: None.
Players in: Alexander Johansson, mf, Varberg, Tom Pettersson, b, Lillestrøm, Colin Rösler, b, Lillestrøm, Noah Eile, b, Malmö FF (loan), Imam Jagne, mf, clubless.
Players out: Jacob Bergström, anf, Djurgården, Carlos Moros Gracia, b, Djurgården, Amir Al-Ammari, mf, IFK Göteborg (loan ended), Jetmir Haliti, b, AIK (loan ended), Enoch Kofi Adu, mf, clubless .
Comment: Celebrated Andreas Brännström has left, but Mjällby seems to work well even under new coach Anders Torstensson, who is making his third stay at the club. Mjällby has already made history this season by securing a place in the Swedish Cup final for the first time in history, where they will face Häcken on May 18.
+ Sirius
Ranking 2022: 11.
Coach: Christer Mattiasson (new).
SM gold: None.
Players in: Jakob Tannander, mv, HJK Helsingfors, André Alsanati, mf, AFC Eskilstuna, Melker Heier, mf, Landskrona.
Players out: Filip Rogic, mf, Buriram United, Yukiya Sugita, ff, Foolad, Tim Björkström, b, Fredrikstad, Tommi Vaiho, mv, Djurgården (loan ended), Adam Hellborg, mf, Helsingborg.
Comment: Some exciting new acquisitions – but above all coach Christer Mattiasson, new from Brommapojkarna. How felt will the losses of versatile Filip Rogic and captain Tim Björkström be?
+ Varberg
Ranking 2022: 14.
Coach: Joakim Persson (since 2017).
SM gold: None.
Players in: Oliver Silverholt, b, Öster, Niklas Dahlström, b, Jönköpings Södra, Vinícius Nogueira, b, Ponte Preta, Ömür Pektas, anf, Stocksund, Yassine El Ouatki, mf, Paris SG B.
Players out: Alexander Johansson, mf, Mjällby, Robin Simovic, nf, Jeonnam Dragons, Tobias Carlsson, b, Häcken (loan ended), André Boman, mf, Elfsborg, Des Kunst, nf, Katwijk.
Comment: It took a dramatic qualifier against Öster before Varberg could secure a new Allsvenskan contract last year. Ahead of this year’s season, coach Joakim Persson has replaced large parts of the squad. At the Allsvenskan kick-off meeting, Varberg ended up in relegation place in the advance tip signed by Swedish media and football experts.
Source: transfermarkt.com, allsvenskan.se, the clubs’ websites.