First Division. No problem with the championship formula as such – it was already established years ago – but confusion was that the league winner, which is technically only the first phase of the championship, the place in the European Champion Cup. Thus, Sweden appeared to have 2 champions this season: the league champion and the national champion, which went to play in the UEFA Cup. After the end of the regular league championship the top 4 teams went to play-offs for the title. The last 2 teams in the league were relegated. The country still used classic 2-point for a win system.
Vastra Frolunda IF was last with 10 points and relegated.
GIF Sundsvall was also relegated – 11th with 13 points.
IK Brage – 10th with 17 points.
Orgryte IS – 9th with 21 points.
AIK – 8th with 21 points.
IFK Goteborg- 7th with 22 points.
Djurgardens IF – 6th with 23 points.
Halmstads BK – 5th with 25 points.
Orebro SK – 4th with 26 points and going to the championship play-offs.
GAIS – 3rd with 26 points and going to the championship play-offs.
IFK Norrkoping – 2nd with 29 points and going the championship play-offs.
Malmo FF – 1st with 31 points and going to the championship play-offs. They won the league championship after 12 wins, 7 ties, and 3 losses. 35-11 goal-difference. Since they represented Sweden in the next issue of the European Champions Cup, to the mind of many they were the country’s champions… but they were not.
Championship play-offs. Direct elimination in 2 legs.
GAIS was eliminated by Malmo FF 2-2 and 0-1.
Orebro lost to IFK Norrloping 1-1 and 0-3.
Thus, the best 2 teams in the regular league season met again to contest the Swedish title in 3 games.
The final was exciting drama – first IFK Norrkoping lost at home 0-2 and looked like Malmo FF was already champion, but IFK Norrkoping came back with away victory of 1-0. The third game was a real final and also a thrill: 0-0 after regular time, still 0-0 after extra-time, and penalty shoot-out followed. And in it IFK Norrkoping prevailed 4-3.
Malmo FF lost the title and surely they were devastated, but there was nothing to blame them for in the same time – they faced worthy opponent and the battle went the other way by chance. Malmo FF was going to play in the best European tournament anyway, so even without the title… they were champions.
IFK Norrkoping clinched the victory and won the Swedish title in most dramatic way. Great, but also bitter… they won their 12th title and did it with somewhat inferior team to Malmo’s. In a sense, it was a sweet victory of the underdog.
Happy champions indeed, but… champions going to play only in the UEFA Cup.
Lars Eriksson and Jan Helstrom proudly wave the trophy as fresh champions of Sweden.