Vasic draws a line under the Karlsson era
Nikola Vasic has said what plenty of supporters have been thinking. "He had a really hard time finding ways for how I should play," the striker told Expressen, referring to former head coach Kalle Karlsson (2). That is a cleaner break than any club statement could deliver. Vasic scored eight goals in 2023, looked sharp in preseason, and then simply did not fit. The quote lands in the middle of the Allsvenskan break, with Hammarby sitting fourth on 17 points and needing a spark up front. If a new coach unlocks him, the second half of the season looks different immediately.
The break brought a big win, but only a friendly one
Hammarby closed their West Coast camp by beating Häcken comfortably in a friendly (1). The scoreline is not public, the opposition rotated heavily, and nobody should overread a summer kickabout. But a big win still does something. It puts a positive frame around a break that began with two straight league losses. The team trained hard in Halmstad and Falkenberg, and the mood coming out of camp sounds lighter than the one that went in. Momentum is real, even in friendlies.
A recall and a flirtation: the squad picture shifts
Suwaibou Kebbeh looks set to return from his loan at GIF, multiple outlets report (6). The Gambian striker has been scoring regularly, and Hammarby need depth in attack. That move makes sense on paper. Less straightforward is Stefano Vecchia. The Malmö winger has managed five Allsvenskan minutes all season and said "you never know" when asked about Henrik Rydström's Hammarby interest (7). He is 31, barely playing, and a player Rydström knows intimately from their Kalmar days. A summer move would not be a headline signing on arrival, but it would be exactly the kind of low-cost, high-upside bet that a well-run club makes.
The women's team keep grinding
Hammarby Dam escaped with a point against Piteå thanks to an own goal (5). That is not pretty, but it keeps them in the title race after the bruising 1–0 loss to Häcken that handed the league lead to their rivals. The Häcken defeat, decided by a Felicia Schröder goal, was the fourth meeting between the sides in 49 days and it stung. The squad is still searching for a long-term left-back solution after Julie Blakstad's departure to Tottenham, and the current American signing looks more stopgap than answer. Nobody at the club is panicking, but the gap at the top is real and closing it requires more than own goals and grit.
What to watch
The Allsvenskan restart is the obvious checkpoint. Vasic's role will tell fans everything about where the new coaching direction points. Kebbeh's loan recall should be formalised, and Vecchia's name will not go quiet. For the women's team, the next Damallsvenskan fixture is a test of nerve more than tactics. Fourth place in the men's table with a +11 goal difference says the platform is solid. The next month says whether anyone builds on it.
