An important qualifying summer awaits after Sweden managed to get three clubs into the league phase of European competitions last year, which helped the country climb to 20th place in the UEFA rankings. As Swedish clubs begin their qualification rounds for international cup competitions next week, they will share five million SEK from the European Fund. The money, provided by main sponsor Unibet, is intended to help the clubs once again reach the league phase.
“Last year was an incredible European season with three Swedish clubs reaching the group stages of UEFA competitions. Our goal is to have at least two Swedish clubs in the European league phase every year, and Unibet’s Europe Fund is an excellent contribution to help the clubs prepare as well as possible to get there,” says Svante Samuelsson, Sporting Director at Swedish Professional Football Leagues.
Last season, Malmö FF and IF Elfsborg reached the league phase of the UEFA Europa League, while Djurgården did the same in the UEFA Europa Conference League. Djurgården performed the best, advancing all the way to the semifinals in the Conference League. This summer, four Swedish clubs will attempt to replicate that success. Malmö FF will qualify for the Champions League, BK Häcken for the Europa League, and Hammarby and AIK for the Conference League. They will all be supported by the European Fund.
The European Fund is financed by Unibet, the main sponsor of elite Swedish football, and aims to help Swedish clubs reach the group stages of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, or UEFA Europa Conference League. Every year, Unibet adds five million SEK to the Europe Fund. The money is distributed equally among the clubs.
The 2025 European Fund:
- Malmö FF: 1,250,000 SEK
- BK Häcken: 1,250,000 SEK
- Hammarby: 1,250,000 SEK
- AIK: 1,250,000 SEK
“As passionate supporters of Swedish football, we naturally hope to see more clubs making it into European competitions, which will benefit them both sportingly and financially. We hope this year’s European Fund will be a great help to our Swedish teams as they soon enter the qualification rounds for Europe,” says Raúl Valencia López, Head of Marketing and PR at Unibet.
While Sweden is fighting to get more teams into group stages and climb further in the rankings, it has also been confirmed that the country will drop its worst season from the five-year UEFA ranking system this year. This shift alone will move Sweden up two places to 18th even before the first qualifying match is played.
“Both Swedish Professional Football Leagues and the clubs are very grateful that Unibet makes it possible for the Swedish teams heading to Europe to prepare in the best possible way. The three clubs that reached the league phase last season earned us many important points in the UEFA ranking, which in turn gives this year’s clubs more advantages in their qualification journey. For Sweden to remain competitive in the rankings long-term, several of our clubs must succeed,” says Svante Samuelsson.
With a strong qualification summer, Sweden could climb even more spots in the rankings—but that will require at least one club, and ideally more, to reach the league phase.
