“Not impossible, but extremely difficult to win 5/5 years”

Three Champions League participations and further success in the Europa League during the last decade have contributed to Malmö FF’s special financial position in the Allsvenskan. And even on the field, everything is going smoothly for MFF.

Ahead of tonight’s away game against Djurgården, the sky blue have six straight victories in a competitive context and the goal difference is 21-3 in these games. An already broad squad was spiced up with top players such as Jens Stryger Larsen, Erik Botheim and Ricardo Friedrich last winter.

Can the competitors forget the idea of ​​conquering Lennart Johansson’s trophy in the future? No, MFF will not get that highway to SM gold. The account https://twitter.com/Skanelaget/status/1782247660315164894 on the X platform has analyzed the link between domestic title dominance and financial edge, using the teams in the top 25 leagues and their squad value in Transfermarkt.

Just squad value is not a perfect measure of value. The value of a team with, for example, many young and marketable players will skyrocket. On another spectrum are teams such as Manchester City, whose squad is not worth much more than that of their Premier League rivals; nevertheless, the club has a cash chest without restrictions.

According to the analysis, Transfermarkt overestimates MFF’s financial superiority. The club’s squad value is 58 percent higher than second in the Allsvenskan, but personnel costs in MFF are only 16 percent higher.

That the club has won the Allsvenskan in three of the last five years is roughly what is expected given MFF’s large, but not huge lead in squad value.

– I can start by saying that the Allsvenskan is a wonderful league, which is difficult to win. There are many good teams that do good things. Which can bring out strong troops in different ways, depending on how you work. You have to have a lot of respect for that. We obviously try to be as good as possible and develop all the time, says MFF’s sports manager Daniel Andersson to the Football Channel.

– Then there are challenges with Sweden, because you are in the food chain that you are in. You can create a good squad and then players disappear because we are where we are in the food chain, and then you have to build new ones. It’s not always that easy just because you have money. That’s really all the stuff you can put in. The charm of the Allsvenskan is that it is a good league with many good teams. We always have respect for it. I would have liked to have won more times, then I know we could have won fewer times as well.

Andersson has been sports director in MFF for all but one year since 2014. Back then, before the Champions League millions trickled in that fall, the playing field between Malmö and the competitors was significantly more even.

In Andersson’s job, he believes that there are pros and cons to having a lot of money, because everyone knows about MFF’s strong coffers and in some cases it is more difficult to negotiate with other clubs.

“Skånelaget’s” analysis shows that most of the clubs that won three league titles in the last five years are more superior financially than MFF in the respective league. Only four clubs have managed to take home 5/5 domestic league titles in recent years: Red Bull Salzburg, Red Star, Ferencvaros and Dinamo Zagreb.

The model shows that Malmö’s special economic position today is not enough to expect SC gold five years out of five.

– You can’t expect that, no. Then it is not impossible either, at the same time it is very difficult. As I said before, the allure of the Allsvenskan is that there are so many good teams that do good things, and you can hit very well some year, depending on what opportunities you get for players. Some can get very good returnees and suddenly have a great team, says Andersson and continues:

– Some years we can’t meet right there. And what the available players are, how the timing is with positions – there are a lot of things like that that come into play. Sometimes you hit very well some years, some years you don’t manage to hit at all. I don’t want to say that it’s coincidence, but of course it also plays a part – which makes it extra interesting.

What does it take for you to win five years out of five?

– We can only look at ourselves, we are constantly trying to improve. We always increase turnover, invest more and more in the sport, in the facilities and everything. That’s what we can do, then we can’t influence what others do. There are other teams that are doing very well that are also starting to gain financial muscle now, with Häcken and Djurgården.

Andersson continues:

– If you want to create total dominance, they make it more difficult, because it’s going well for them. At the same time, it is good for Swedish football that there are more good teams and more teams out in Europe. We spur each other on, quite simply.

If the dream scenario for you were to happen, that you win five years out of five and become a Red Bull Salzburg here – would that be good for Swedish football?

– Incredibly hypothetical question.

Yes.
– It’s a long way there. I would like to win five out of five. Then it is enormously difficult, I would say. I don’t want to say it’s impossible, but it’s very difficult to win five out of five.

Daniel Andersson thinks that the debate surrounding MFF’s possible superiority on the 2024 plan lacked nuance. The sporting director gives the boot to the media, who like to blow things up according to him.

– It’s a bit like that with you in the media, it’s often extremes. You are either really good or you are really bad. Now it’s really good, then you can build up really hard – because then it’s easier to knock down a sedan. I guess that’s how I think about it. We have a strong squad and a good team, but it is clear that we will not jog this home, concludes Andersson.