Dream Draw for Mjällby as Champions League Qualifying Path is Revealed
Swedish champions Mjällby AIF land a favourable Champions League qualifying draw, avoiding the likes of Red Star Belgrade and Lech Poznań.
SFN Editor ·
Swedish champions Mjällby AIF have been handed what many are calling a dream draw for their Champions League qualifying campaign, after the second qualifying round pairings were confirmed.
According to Fotbollskanalen, Mjällby will face the winner of the tie between Lincoln Red Imps of Gibraltar and Inter Club d'Escaldes of Andorra — two of the smaller clubs in European football. The result is a significant relief for the Blekinge-based club, who entered the draw as unseeded and were therefore at risk of facing far tougher opposition.
Among the potential opponents that could have awaited Mjällby were Red Star Belgrade, the storied Serbian giants with a European Cup title to their name, and Lech Poznań, a well-established Polish top-flight side. Landing either of those would have presented a far steeper challenge at this early stage of European competition.
Mjällby earned their place in the Champions League qualifying rounds by winning last season's Allsvenskan title — Sweden's top football division — claiming the country's highest domestic honour for the first time in the club's history. It marked a remarkable achievement for a club from the small town of Mjällby in southern Sweden.
The second qualifying round is scheduled to be played on 21/22 July and 28/29 July, meaning the club will need to have their preparations well underway as the Swedish league season continues in parallel.
Whichever side comes through from the Lincoln Red Imps versus Inter Club d'Escaldes tie, Mjällby will be heavy favourites to advance — and with it, move one step closer to the group stages of Europe's most prestigious club competition.