Football Season Guide

The 2024 campaign was a transition season for Elfsborg. The vice-champions from a year earlier couldn’t even finish in the top 6. They never found consistency and had to adjust to a new manager midway through the campaign. Even before last season began the coach for the last 6 years Jimmy Thelin announced his summer departure. Both before and after he left Elfsborg kept mixing wins with defeats so they never really got close enough to the top 4 to challenge for European visas. The one positive from last year was the solid display in Europe in the autumn and the early months of 2025. The Elves will be taking a break from European football now though. Coach Oscar Hiljemark had a tough first winter in charge. As many as 5 regulars from last year left. This forced the manager to rebuild. He is still very short on options in midfield and attack. Elfsborg parted ways with 6 midfielders this winter but so far only 2 new ones have been signed. Both Simon Olsson and Júlíus Magnússon should become regulars. However, neither is seen as an improvement on Baldursson and Timothy Ouma who are no longer in the team. The team’s two most productive forwards Michael Baidoo and Ahmed Qasem were also sold. The only new striker signed so far is youngster Taylor Silverholt who comes from Sweden’s Second Tier. Considering Per Frick’s injury-plagued past this exposes the front line. It seems the gaffer will re-qualify youngster Jalal Abdulai into a striker. This could be fruitful. However, the most goals the 20-year-old has scored so far in a single season is 5, so hoping he can carry the entire load up front is maybe a bit too optimistic. At least defensively not major changes happened and the core of the back line will be the same. Goalkeeper Marcus Bundgaard left but he was disappointing last season anyway. Lucas Hägg-Johansson is a quality replacement for him and should become the new number one.