The week Rydström came back and took the lead with him
Malmö FF 1–2 Hammarby IF at Eleda Stadion. Henrik Rydström, sacked by Malmö, returned for the first time as Hammarby's coach and left with the three points that put his new club top of the Allsvenskan (7) (28). Andrej Djuric was sent off for a headbutt on Nahir Besara (2). Malmö are seventh on 40 points from 26 games, and the title race is no longer theirs to influence on the pitch, only to spoil.
Rydström's evening, from both sides
Daniel Andersson got the tone right beforehand: "Det han gjorde här förtjänar sin hyllning" (21) (22). Rydström himself said he expected no warm welcome. Anders Christiansen was blunter, telling reporters he understood the fans would not be cheering (13). He was right. That is the thing about Eleda in 2026. Sixteen points from 13 home games, the club's worst home season since the Allsvenskan went to 16 teams (20) (24). Forty points at home in 2024, sixteen in 2026. Rydström knows exactly what he took away with him.
The captain is still the loudest voice
Christiansen is 36, has fought injuries for two seasons and is now in contract talks with the club. "Bägge parterna vill fortsätta samarbeta," he confirmed (15) (32). The same man spent the week telling everyone within earshot that Sirius had "skitit i byxorna" for the second or third time instead of closing out a title (12). Then he lost to Hammarby. The talk was better than the football.
A gold medal, but not the one that matters
Malmö FF P19 are Swedish youth champions, beating Sirius, with Karic and Ferati scoring (11) (23). Good news, genuinely. It arrived the day before the first team's home season flatlined again. The Olympic loan partnership is also under review, with only Joakim Persson an ordinary Malmö starter this year, and Andersson saying the club will weigh whether to continue it (25) (27). Two decisions about the future of this squad are now on the table: Christiansen's contract and the Olympic pipeline.
What to watch at IFK Göteborg
Sunday 8 November, 14:00 CET, away at IFK Göteborg. No Rydström, no title stakes, no home ground to hide behind. Watch whether Stian Gregersen, who hurt his foot earlier but was not ruled out, is fit enough to keep his place in a defence that has been reworked all autumn (17), and watch whether Helstrup uses the trip to give the P19 champions a look. Malmö's season is being settled in the boardroom now, not the table.
