Malmö FF restarted their women's team in 2020 in Division 4 and have since won four consecutive series championships. Now, in practice, a fifth consecutive promotion is secured – away against Örebro SK on Saturday, the Damallsvenskan spot can be secured in theory as well.
We've been very clear from the start that we want to go up as quickly as possible to Damallsvenskan, but then it has to be done, says MFF's sports manager Daniel Andersson.
Full-time employees next season
The turnover in the squad before each season has increased as the demands on the players have become higher. Previously, it has been possible to combine with work or studies on the side. Now, it's a mix of full-time and part-time employed players in the squad.
The goal if we now go up, which we will of course manage, is that we will have full-time employed players next year, says Daniel Andersson.
The club has received reinforcement this year from a player from the already crowned SM-winner Rosengård. The experienced midfielder Mia Persson joined last summer.
Malmö FF is the largest association in Sweden, and I know they want to invest seriously, and they have the ambition and prerequisites to become really, really good, says Persson.
Besides two previous SM-gold medals with Rosengård, she has also played Damallsvenskan seasons with Limhamn/Bunkeflo, which makes her able to talk about the differences between the divisions.
It's maybe not that big a difference at the top of Elitettan and the bottom of Damallsvenskan, but the upper half of Damallsvenskan compared to Elitettan is a pretty big difference, says the 34-year-old.
"Huge respect"
The work on strengthening the squad is already underway, says Daniel Andersson.
The long-term goal is, just like for the men's team, to be among the top teams in Europe and try to win. But we have huge respect for Damallsvenskan and know it's a step up.
Can you challenge for the SM-gold medal already next year?
It's clubs in Damallsvenskan that do incredibly well with incredibly good teams. To be able to compete with the absolute top in one year shouldn't be possible. But to establish ourselves and be able to be among the top teams, that's what we hope to do.
Malmö FF established its women's section in 1970 and secured promotion to the top division in 1980. In 1986, the club took its first SM-gold medal on the women's side.
The club then won SM-gold medals in 1990, 1991, 1993, and 1994. Before the 2005 season, the women's section broke away from the parent association and played for two seasons under the name Malmö FF Dam.
The association changed its name to Ldb Malmö in 2007 and to FC Rosengård at the end of 2013.
In the late 2010s, the members voted at MFF's annual meeting to restart a women's team.
The MFF board wanted to see a merger with Limhamn/Bunkeflo (LB07), which then had a women's team in Allsvenskan, but the members voted no. Instead, a women's team was created, starting at the bottom of the league pyramid in Division 4.
Since 2020, there have been four consecutive series championships. The team took 74 out of 74 possible wins in the first four seasons with a goal difference of 569–25.
With four rounds left to play in Elitettan – where the top two teams are promoted to Damallsvenskan – series-leading MFF (+41 in goal difference) has a 12-point lead over third-place Umeå (+19). Malmö meets Örebro away on Saturday, and Umeå has a home match against Bollstanäs.
Malmö club Ariana FC is the comet in Swedish football, according to the Swedish Football Historians and Statisticians (SFS).
The team secured six consecutive promotions from 2017 to 2022 – from Division 7 to the third highest level in men's football. Additionally, the team won the reserve league series in 2016. The team finished eighth in the third highest level in men's football last year.
Stockholm club FK Sumarice took six consecutive series championships from 1985 to 1990 – from Division 8 to Division 2 East Svealand. The team was relegated directly from Division 2 after just one point in 16 matches in 1991.
Dalkurd FF, originally formed in Borlänge, secured five consecutive promotions from 2005 to 2009 – from Division 6 to the then Division 1 North. Dalkurd played in the men's Allsvenskan in 2018 but finished second to last and was relegated to Superettan. Before the 2018 season, the operations were moved to Uppsala, but initially, Dalkurd played their matches in Gävle.
The association lost its elite license before this year's season and was relegated to Division 2 North Svealand. Dalkurd will finish last in that series and play in Division 3 next year.
Sources: Swedish Football Historians and Statisticians, svenskfotboll.se
