IF Elfsborg

Swedish Allsvenskan
16 Sep 2030
Monday
Process
215 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

9 Sep 2030
From our football correspondent Crisis

Squad

Malte Hallin says IF Elfsborg went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Squad

Arbër Zeneli signs a new deal

“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Arbër Zeneli commits to IF Elfsborg for another 2 years.

Match

A bad afternoon for IF Elfsborg against Hammarby

3-4 to Hammarby, and no complaints worth printing. The performance asked for nothing more than it got.

In brief

Back issues
214 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

2 Sep 2030
From our football correspondent Upbeat

Market

Ísak Andri Sigurgeirsson has one foot out of the door

Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around IF Elfsborg they have already started talking about him in the past tense.

Market

William Ovalle asks to leave IF Elfsborg

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Squad

Simon Olsson out for 76 days

The medical room confirms 76 days on the sidelines for Simon Olsson, and a plan built around him now has to be rebuilt.

Squad

William Ovalle says IF Elfsborg went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Match

Still nobody has beaten IF Elfsborg

The unbeaten run reaches 8. Some of them were wins and some were escapes, but a side that refuses to lose is a side other dressing rooms talk about.

Squad

Arbër Zeneli stays put

“The easiest signature of my career.” Arbër Zeneli and IF Elfsborg agree another 2 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.

Match

IF Elfsborg find a way past AIK

AIK made IF Elfsborg work for it, but the scoreboard read 1-0 at the end and the table does not ask how.

Squad

Greg Ranjitsingh gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Market

The Thomas Isherwood talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. IF Elfsborg know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

In brief

213 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

26 Aug 2030
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Ivaylo Nedelchev hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what IF Elfsborg can pretend not to have heard.

Match

Still nobody has beaten IF Elfsborg

The unbeaten run reaches 7. Some of them were wins and some were escapes, but a side that refuses to lose is a side other dressing rooms talk about.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Axel Abet

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Match

IF Elfsborg and IFK Norrkoping take a point apiece

It finished 2-2, and it somehow always looked like it would. One of those afternoons where the table moves less than the tempers.

Squad

Martin Zlomislić knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at IF Elfsborg, and both men came out saying it was fine.

Market

The Ludvig Arvidsson talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. IF Elfsborg know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

Market

Window shut, Niklas Hult still here

IF Elfsborg spent the window trying to move Niklas Hult on and nobody came. He trains with a squad that has already told him he is not part of it, and both sides now wait for the next one.

Squad

Ludvig Arvidsson scores at last

The wait is over, and the relief was visible from the back of the stand. 3 for the season, and the next one always comes easier.

Boardroom

The IF Elfsborg production line keeps running

25 graduates out of an academy now rated 11 out of 20. Clubs this size survive on exactly that, and the town knows every name.

In brief

212 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

19 Aug 2030
From our football correspondent Upbeat

Squad

Kalle Joelsson keeps IF Elfsborg in it on his own

Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 7 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.

Match

Still nobody has beaten IF Elfsborg

The unbeaten run reaches 6. Some of them were wins and some were escapes, but a side that refuses to lose is a side other dressing rooms talk about.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Joaquín Bigo

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Match

IF Elfsborg get the job done against Malmo FF

A 1-0 win over Malmo FF, earned rather than given, and the sort of afternoon that sends everyone home talking about next week instead of this one.

Market

The Kalle Joelsson talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. IF Elfsborg know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

Market

The window shut and Ísak Andri Sigurgeirsson is still in the building

IF Elfsborg spent a month trying to move him and nobody rang back. He trains with a squad that has told him where he stands, and both sides start counting down to the next one.

In brief

211 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

12 Aug 2030
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Joaquín Bigo says IF Elfsborg went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Squad

A one-man rearguard from Kalle Joelsson

There were 7 saves in it, and at least three that had no business being saves at all. The ten outfield players owe him a drink and they know it.

Market

Kalmar FF expected to open talks for Ísak Andri Sigurgeirsson

Both sides expect a conversation in the coming days. IF Elfsborg will name a price, and everything after that is arithmetic.

Market

Tim Erlandsson told to find a new club

“They were honest with me, and I would rather know.” Tim Erlandsson has been informed he is not in the manager's thinking at IF Elfsborg.

Squad

Malte Hallin gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Squad

Ísak Andri Sigurgeirsson asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

In brief

210 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

5 Aug 2030
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Malte Hallin: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” IF Elfsborg have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Squad

Taylor Silverholt gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Squad

Viktor Fiola stays put

“The easiest signature of my career.” Viktor Fiola and IF Elfsborg agree another 2 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.

Match

IF Elfsborg share the spoils with Djurgarden

A 1-1 draw with Djurgarden leaves the dressing room somewhere between relief and regret.

Squad

Ísak Andri Sigurgeirsson knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at IF Elfsborg, and both men came out saying it was fine.

Market

IF Elfsborg bring in an old head

Onur Ergün is 37 and has run out of things to prove. What he has left is where to stand, when to slow it down and what to say at half-time, and none of that is on a fitness chart.

In brief

209 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

29 Jul 2030
From our football correspondent Upbeat

Market

Ivaylo Nedelchev hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what IF Elfsborg can pretend not to have heard.

Squad

Ivaylo Nedelchev: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” IF Elfsborg have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Market

Orebro come back empty-handed

The bid was some way short and IF Elfsborg did not need long over it. Nobody in the game reads a first refusal as the end of anything.

Market

Abdo Nader is on his way

The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at IF Elfsborg is pretending he will be back in the shirt.

Match

IF Elfsborg cannot stop winning

3 wins on the spin now, and the question has changed from whether the run ends to who ends it. Confidence like this cannot be bought; it has to be earned exactly this way.

Squad

Kalle Joelsson gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Match

IF Elfsborg get the job done against GIF Sundsvall

A 1-0 win over GIF Sundsvall, earned rather than given, and the sort of afternoon that sends everyone home talking about next week instead of this one.

Squad

Arbër Zeneli asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

The terraces

The spotlight tightens on Kalle Joelsson

Every touch is being weighed now, in print and everywhere else. Some players grow into that and some are quietly ruined by it, and nobody knows which in advance.

In brief

208 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

22 Jul 2030
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

The manager makes an example of Ísak Andri Sigurgeirsson

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Match

IF Elfsborg see off Halmstad

Three points for IF Elfsborg, 1-0 the final word against Halmstad in a contest settled by the finer margins.

Squad

Arbër Zeneli knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at IF Elfsborg, and both men came out saying it was fine.

Market

The Kalle Joelsson talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. IF Elfsborg know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

Squad

Kalle Joelsson has company in his position

The competition arrived without a word said to him about it. Kalle Joelsson keeps the shirt for now, at IF Elfsborg's convenience rather than his own.

Market

IF Elfsborg put Tim Erlandsson up for sale

The list is a quiet document with a loud meaning. Tim Erlandsson may talk to anybody who asks, and everybody at the club understands what that means.

Market

Axel Abet joins IF Elfsborg on a free

No fee and no drama: Axel Abet has signed at IF Elfsborg, and the wage bill is the only line that moved.

Market

Matěj Helebrand leaves for nothing

Contract settled, hands shaken, no fee changing hands. Matěj Helebrand leaves IF Elfsborg the quiet way, and the wage bill breathes a little easier.

The terraces

The press have found their man in Frederik Ihler

Column inches are not points, but a footballer whose name keeps appearing for the right reasons is a footballer whose price has just gone up.

In brief

207 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

15 Jul 2030
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Match

IF Elfsborg find a way past Helsingborg

Helsingborg made IF Elfsborg work for it, but the scoreboard read 2-1 at the end and the table does not ask how.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Sebastian Holmén

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Squad

Frederik Ihler knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at IF Elfsborg, and both men came out saying it was fine.

In brief

206 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

8 Jul 2030
From our football correspondent Crisis

Match

The cup run ends for IF Elfsborg

1-2 against IFK Goteborg, and the road stops here. Cup exits are quick deaths — no second leg, no next week, just the league from now until May.

Match

No end in sight to IF Elfsborg's wait for a win

6 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at IF Elfsborg has to find a result from somewhere.

Squad

Sebastian Holmén signs a new deal

“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Sebastian Holmén commits to IF Elfsborg for another 2 years.

Squad

Ludvig Arvidsson gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Squad

Kalle Joelsson lets one through his hands

A defender's mistake gets tidied up by somebody else; a goalkeeper's ends up in the net. He knew before the ball crossed the line, and so did everybody in the ground.

Squad

Taylor Silverholt asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

In brief

205 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

1 Jul 2030
From our football correspondent Crisis

Market

Ivaylo Nedelchev hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what IF Elfsborg can pretend not to have heard.

Squad

Tim Erlandsson says IF Elfsborg went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Market

Abdo Nader is on his way

The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at IF Elfsborg is pretending he will be back in the shirt.

Match

4 matches without a win for IF Elfsborg

The run now stands at 4, and the questions being asked around IF Elfsborg are no longer polite ones.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Taylor Silverholt

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Match

Kalmar FF take the points off IF Elfsborg

Beaten 0-1, and beaten fairly. The manager kept his words short afterwards, which was probably wise.

In brief

204 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

24 Jun 2030
From our football correspondent Crisis

Squad

Neo Drugge Hysén says IF Elfsborg went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Market

Matěj Helebrand has one foot out of the door

Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around IF Elfsborg they have already started talking about him in the past tense.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Ísak Andri Sigurgeirsson

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Match

A bad afternoon for IF Elfsborg against Atvidaberg

0-1 to Atvidaberg, and no complaints worth printing. The performance asked for nothing more than it got.

Boardroom

Nobody left the IF Elfsborg dressing room in a hurry

The door stayed shut a long time after the final whistle. What was said in there is between them; whether it worked is between them and Saturday.

Squad

Adam Ståhl knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at IF Elfsborg, and both men came out saying it was fine.

In brief

203 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

17 Jun 2030
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

The manager makes an example of Frederik Ihler

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Squad

IF Elfsborg lose Ludwig Krafth

15 days, the medical staff say, and medical staff are optimists by profession. The team sheet will look wrong without him.

Squad

Kalle Joelsson lets one through his hands

A defender's mistake gets tidied up by somebody else; a goalkeeper's ends up in the net. He knew before the ball crossed the line, and so did everybody in the ground.

In brief

202 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

10 Jun 2030
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Greg Ranjitsingh gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Match

IF Elfsborg share the spoils with Falkenberg

A 2-2 draw with Falkenberg leaves the dressing room somewhere between relief and regret.

Squad

Arbër Zeneli knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at IF Elfsborg, and both men came out saying it was fine.

In brief

201 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

3 Jun 2030
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Rasmus Nehrman says IF Elfsborg went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Market

Abdo Nader is on his way

The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at IF Elfsborg is pretending he will be back in the shirt.

Squad

Tim Erlandsson signs a new deal

“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Tim Erlandsson commits to IF Elfsborg for another 2 years.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Taylor Silverholt

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Match

IF Elfsborg see off Gefle

Three points for IF Elfsborg, 1-0 the final word against Gefle in a contest settled by the finer margins.

Squad

Arbër Zeneli asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

Market

The Ludvig Arvidsson talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. IF Elfsborg know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

The terraces

Everybody has an opinion about Leo Östman

He is the name in every column and on every phone-in, which is a heavy thing to carry at any age. Some footballers thrive on it; others are quietly finished by it.

Boardroom

The IF Elfsborg production line keeps running

25 graduates out of an academy now rated 11 out of 20. Clubs this size survive on exactly that, and the town knows every name.

In brief

200 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

27 May 2030
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

Kalle Joelsson keeps IF Elfsborg in it on his own

Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 6 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.

Market

Matěj Helebrand has one foot out of the door

Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around IF Elfsborg they have already started talking about him in the past tense.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Ísak Andri Sigurgeirsson

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Match

IF Elfsborg share the spoils with Hammarby

A 1-1 draw with Hammarby leaves the dressing room somewhere between relief and regret.

Market

The Kalle Joelsson talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. IF Elfsborg know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

Squad

Arbër Zeneli wants a proper job in this side

Shifted about, taken off before the hour, asked to do somebody else's running — Arbër Zeneli has had enough of being useful and would like to be picked. IF Elfsborg know, and have known for weeks.

In brief

199 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

20 May 2030
From our football correspondent Crisis

Squad

Gabriel Kulla says IF Elfsborg went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Squad

Ludvig Arvidsson signs a new deal

“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Ludvig Arvidsson commits to IF Elfsborg for another 5 years.

Match

A bad afternoon for IF Elfsborg against AIK

1-2 to AIK, and no complaints worth printing. The performance asked for nothing more than it got.

In brief

198 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

13 May 2030
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

The manager makes an example of Thomas Isherwood

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Match

IF Elfsborg find a way past IFK Norrkoping

IFK Norrkoping made IF Elfsborg work for it, but the scoreboard read 2-0 at the end and the table does not ask how.

Squad

Niklas Hult knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at IF Elfsborg, and both men came out saying it was fine.

Market

The Thomas Isherwood talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. IF Elfsborg know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

Market

IF Elfsborg put Erik Grandelius up for sale

The list is a quiet document with a loud meaning. Erik Grandelius may talk to anybody who asks, and everybody at the club understands what that means.

Squad

Arbër Zeneli keeps his manager's vote

The message was aimed at the stands as much as the dressing room: Arbër Zeneli plays, and the argument is closed until the manager decides otherwise.

In brief

197 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

6 May 2030
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Squad

Kalle Joelsson is the hero from the spot

A shoot-out is remembered by its ending, and this one ends with Kalle Joelsson: 3 kept out, and a set of supporters who will describe every one of them for the next twenty years.

Match

IF Elfsborg march on in the cup

Helsingborg are out and IF Elfsborg go through, 2-2 the final word. The bracket opens up a little, and everyone allows themselves a look at it.

Match

No end in sight to IF Elfsborg's wait for a win

5 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at IF Elfsborg has to find a result from somewhere.

Squad

Albert Tamoyan says IF Elfsborg went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Market

Abdo Nader is on his way

The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at IF Elfsborg is pretending he will be back in the shirt.

Match

A bad afternoon for IF Elfsborg against Malmo FF

1-2 to Malmo FF, and no complaints worth printing. The performance asked for nothing more than it got.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Sebastian Holmén

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Squad

Training ground row involving Thomas Isherwood

Tempers went at IF Elfsborg this week. Nothing a hard session and a quiet word cannot repair, though the story got out all the same.

Market

The Ludvig Arvidsson talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. IF Elfsborg know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

In brief

196 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

29 Apr 2030
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Ísak Andri Sigurgeirsson: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” IF Elfsborg have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Market

Matěj Helebrand has one foot out of the door

Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around IF Elfsborg they have already started talking about him in the past tense.

Squad

Simon Hedlund gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

In brief

195 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

22 Apr 2030
From our football correspondent Crisis

Squad

Greg Ranjitsingh: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” IF Elfsborg have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Squad

Arbër Zeneli gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Match

Djurgarden take the points off IF Elfsborg

Beaten 0-2, and beaten fairly. The manager kept his words short afterwards, which was probably wise.

In brief

194 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

15 Apr 2030
From our football correspondent Steady

Match

Still nobody has beaten IF Elfsborg

The unbeaten run reaches 6. Some of them were wins and some were escapes, but a side that refuses to lose is a side other dressing rooms talk about.

Squad

Taylor Silverholt gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Match

Honours even between IF Elfsborg and GIF Sundsvall

1-1, and both dressing rooms will call it two points lost. A draw that asked plenty of questions and answered none of them.

Squad

Arbër Zeneli knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at IF Elfsborg, and both men came out saying it was fine.

The terraces

Everybody has an opinion about Kalle Joelsson

He is the name in every column and on every phone-in, which is a heavy thing to carry at any age. Some footballers thrive on it; others are quietly finished by it.

Squad

Frederik Ihler is off the mark for IF Elfsborg

The first one is the one every signing is asked about until it arrives. It has arrived, and he can stop being asked.

In brief

193 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

8 Apr 2030
From our football correspondent Upbeat

Squad

Tim Erlandsson says IF Elfsborg went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Market

Abdo Nader is on his way

The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at IF Elfsborg is pretending he will be back in the shirt.

Squad

Kalle Joelsson stays put

“The easiest signature of my career.” Kalle Joelsson and IF Elfsborg agree another 3 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.

Market

Viktor Hiljemark is a IF Elfsborg player again

He left as a boy and has come back still knowing where the away end is. Most signings have to be explained to a town; this one needed a photograph and nothing else.

Market

Patrik Augustinsson comes home

The shirt still fits. Patrik Augustinsson is back at IF Elfsborg, and half the ground remembers him in these colours already. Some signings need selling to the town; this one sold itself.

Market

Emil Augustinsson comes home

The shirt still fits. Emil Augustinsson is back at IF Elfsborg, and half the ground remembers him in these colours already. Some signings need selling to the town; this one sold itself.

Match

IF Elfsborg see off Halmstad

Three points for IF Elfsborg, 1-0 the final word against Halmstad in a contest settled by the finer margins.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Ari Sigurpálsson

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Squad

Taylor Silverholt finally opens his account

He wheeled away like a man who had been carrying it for months, because he had. IF Elfsborg have their signing off the mark and one press-conference question retired.

In brief

192 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

1 Apr 2030
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Matěj Helebrand has one foot out of the door

Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around IF Elfsborg they have already started talking about him in the past tense.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Ísak Andri Sigurgeirsson

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Squad

Carl Gustafsson knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at IF Elfsborg, and both men came out saying it was fine.

In brief

191 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

25 Mar 2030
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Tim Erlandsson gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Squad

Carl Gustafsson asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

Market

The Frederik Ihler talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. IF Elfsborg know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

In brief

190 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

18 Mar 2030
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Guillermo Ortiz asks to leave IF Elfsborg

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Squad

Abdo Nader: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” IF Elfsborg have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Squad

Kristian Onsrud gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

In brief

189 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

11 Mar 2030
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Simon Hedlund hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what IF Elfsborg can pretend not to have heard.

Market

Abdo Nader is on his way

The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at IF Elfsborg is pretending he will be back in the shirt.

Squad

Ludvig Arvidsson is the real thing at 21

A season average of 7.14 at an age when most of his year group are still in the youth team. IF Elfsborg know what they have, and so, by now, does everybody else.

Squad

IF Elfsborg lose Adam Ståhl

15 days, the medical staff say, and medical staff are optimists by profession. The team sheet will look wrong without him.

Squad

Abdo Nader gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Squad

Niklas Hult asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

In brief

188 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

4 Mar 2030
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Niklas Hult hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what IF Elfsborg can pretend not to have heard.

Market

Matěj Helebrand has one foot out of the door

Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around IF Elfsborg they have already started talking about him in the past tense.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Arbër Zeneli

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Squad

William Ovalle stays put

“The easiest signature of my career.” William Ovalle and IF Elfsborg agree another 3 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.

Market

Experience through the door at IF Elfsborg

Greg Ranjitsingh arrives at 36 with nothing left to prove and plenty left to pass on. Legs are a young man's currency; knowing where to stand never ages.

Market

Experience through the door at IF Elfsborg

Adam Ståhl arrives at 35 with nothing left to prove and plenty left to pass on. Legs are a young man's currency; knowing where to stand never ages.

In brief

187 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

25 Feb 2030
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Ísak Andri Sigurgeirsson asks to leave IF Elfsborg

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Squad

Tim Erlandsson gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Squad

Arbër Zeneli asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

In brief

186 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

18 Feb 2030
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Tim Erlandsson: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” IF Elfsborg have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Ísak Andri Sigurgeirsson

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Market

IF Elfsborg put Ísak Andri Sigurgeirsson up for sale

The list is a quiet document with a loud meaning. Ísak Andri Sigurgeirsson may talk to anybody who asks, and everybody at the club understands what that means.

Market

Guillermo Ortiz told to find a new club

“They were honest with me, and I would rather know.” Guillermo Ortiz has been informed he is not in the manager's thinking at IF Elfsborg.

Market

The Thomas Isherwood talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. IF Elfsborg know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

Squad

Ari Sigurpálsson asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

In brief

185 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

11 Feb 2030
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Rasmus Nehrman: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” IF Elfsborg have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Squad

At 21, Ludvig Arvidsson is already the best thing here

An average of 7.14 in a first team he is several years too young for. IF Elfsborg have something, and by now the whole division has noticed.

Market

Maksym Kulish is on his way

The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at IF Elfsborg is pretending he will be back in the shirt.

Market

Niklas Hult is free to find somewhere else

“I was told straight, and I would rather have it straight.” The manager at IF Elfsborg has been clear about where Niklas Hult stands, which is more than many ever get.

Squad

Carl Gustafsson knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at IF Elfsborg, and both men came out saying it was fine.

Market

The Kalle Joelsson talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. IF Elfsborg know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

In brief

184 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

4 Feb 2030
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Thembinkosi Lorch asks to leave IF Elfsborg

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Squad

Abdo Nader says IF Elfsborg went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Market

Matěj Helebrand is on his way

The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at IF Elfsborg is pretending he will be back in the shirt.

Squad

Arbër Zeneli signs a new deal

“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Arbër Zeneli commits to IF Elfsborg for another 2 years.

Market

Ísak Andri Sigurgeirsson told to find a new club

“They were honest with me, and I would rather know.” Ísak Andri Sigurgeirsson has been informed he is not in the manager's thinking at IF Elfsborg.

Squad

Kevin Appiah Nyarko out for 19 days

The medical room confirms 19 days on the sidelines for Kevin Appiah Nyarko, and a plan built around him now has to be rebuilt.

In brief

183 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

28 Jan 2030
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Maksym Andrushchenko: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” IF Elfsborg have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Squad

Sebastian Holmén gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Market

Frederik Ihler linked with a move away

The name of Frederik Ihler keeps appearing in other people's back pages. IF Elfsborg say nothing, which says plenty.

In brief

182 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

21 Jan 2030
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Niklas Hult says IF Elfsborg went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Market

Aleksandr Dovgal' asks to leave IF Elfsborg

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Squad

Tim Erlandsson gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

In brief

181 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

14 Jan 2030
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

At 21, Ludvig Arvidsson is already the best thing here

An average of 7.14 in a first team he is several years too young for. IF Elfsborg have something, and by now the whole division has noticed.

Squad

Arbër Zeneli knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at IF Elfsborg, and both men came out saying it was fine.

Market

The Kalle Joelsson talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. IF Elfsborg know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

In brief

180 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

7 Jan 2030
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Aleksandr Dovgal' is on his way

The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at IF Elfsborg is pretending he will be back in the shirt.

Squad

IF Elfsborg lose Kevin Appiah Nyarko

48 days, the medical staff say, and medical staff are optimists by profession. The team sheet will look wrong without him.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Leo Östman

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

In brief

179 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

31 Dec 2029
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Sixten Gustafsson says IF Elfsborg went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Squad

IF Elfsborg lose Mattias Olsen

15 days, the medical staff say, and medical staff are optimists by profession. The team sheet will look wrong without him.

Market

Frederik Ihler linked with a move away

The name of Frederik Ihler keeps appearing in other people's back pages. IF Elfsborg say nothing, which says plenty.

In brief

178 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

24 Dec 2029
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Carl Gustafsson asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Guillermo Ortiz

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Market

Thomas Isherwood linked with a move away

The name of Thomas Isherwood keeps appearing in other people's back pages. IF Elfsborg say nothing, which says plenty.

In brief

177 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

17 Dec 2029
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Carl Gustafsson: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” IF Elfsborg have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Market

Aleksandr Dovgal' hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what IF Elfsborg can pretend not to have heard.

Squad

At 21, Ludvig Arvidsson is already the best thing here

An average of 7.14 in a first team he is several years too young for. IF Elfsborg have something, and by now the whole division has noticed.

In brief

176 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

10 Dec 2029
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Martin Ellingsen asks to leave IF Elfsborg

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Squad

Rasmus Nehrman says IF Elfsborg went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Market

Aleksandr Dovgal' is on his way

The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at IF Elfsborg is pretending he will be back in the shirt.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Taylor Silverholt

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Squad

Ísak Andri Sigurgeirsson asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

Market

Talks stall between IF Elfsborg and Júlíus Magnússon

“We are a long way apart, and pretending otherwise helps nobody.” Neither side is close, and the calendar is not on the club's side.

In brief

175 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

3 Dec 2029
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Sebastian Holmén signs a new deal

“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Sebastian Holmén commits to IF Elfsborg for another 2 years.

Squad

Abdo Nader out for 35 days

The medical room confirms 35 days on the sidelines for Abdo Nader, and a plan built around him now has to be rebuilt.

Squad

Taylor Silverholt asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

In brief

174 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

26 Nov 2029
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Matěj Helebrand asks to leave IF Elfsborg

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Squad

Thembinkosi Lorch gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Squad

Sebastian Holmén knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at IF Elfsborg, and both men came out saying it was fine.

In brief

173 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

19 Nov 2029
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Thembinkosi Lorch: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” IF Elfsborg have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Squad

At 21, Ludvig Arvidsson is already the best thing here

An average of 7.14 in a first team he is several years too young for. IF Elfsborg have something, and by now the whole division has noticed.

Squad

Sebastian Holmén gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

In brief

172 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

12 Nov 2029
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Martin Ellingsen asks to leave IF Elfsborg

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Market

Aleksandr Dovgal' is on his way

The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at IF Elfsborg is pretending he will be back in the shirt.

Squad

Arbër Zeneli gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

In brief

171 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

5 Nov 2029
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Tim Erlandsson stays put

“The easiest signature of my career.” Tim Erlandsson and IF Elfsborg agree another 2 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Thomas Isherwood

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Squad

Abdo Nader out for 63 days

The medical room confirms 63 days on the sidelines for Abdo Nader, and a plan built around him now has to be rebuilt.

In brief

170 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

29 Oct 2029
From our football correspondent Upbeat

Match

IF Elfsborg get the job done against Helsingborg

A 1-0 win over Helsingborg, earned rather than given, and the sort of afternoon that sends everyone home talking about next week instead of this one.

Squad

Ísak Andri Sigurgeirsson asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

Squad

Matěj Helebrand gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Market

Thomas Isherwood linked with a move away

The name of Thomas Isherwood keeps appearing in other people's back pages. IF Elfsborg say nothing, which says plenty.

Squad

Somebody is after Ísak Andri Sigurgeirsson’s shirt

A new face in his position, and Ísak Andri Sigurgeirsson suddenly has to win back what he thought he owned. IF Elfsborg have promised nothing — clubs rarely do at this stage.

Squad

Thomas Isherwood unhappy with how he is being used

Asked to play a role that is not his, or taken off before the hour once too often — Thomas Isherwood has let it be known that he does not like the way IF Elfsborg are using him. Managers hear this long before the press does.

In brief

169 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

22 Oct 2029
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Simon Hedlund asks to leave IF Elfsborg

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Squad

Ludvig Arvidsson is the real thing at 21

A season average of 7.09 at an age when most of his year group are still in the youth team. IF Elfsborg know what they have, and so, by now, does everybody else.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Júlíus Magnússon

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Match

Honours even between IF Elfsborg and IFK Goteborg

1-1, and both dressing rooms will call it two points lost. A draw that asked plenty of questions and answered none of them.

Squad

Ísak Andri Sigurgeirsson knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at IF Elfsborg, and both men came out saying it was fine.

Market

The Kalle Joelsson talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. IF Elfsborg know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

In brief

168 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

15 Oct 2029
From our football correspondent Upbeat

Squad

Sebastian Holmén: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” IF Elfsborg have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Market

Martin Ellingsen asks to leave IF Elfsborg

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Squad

Kalle Joelsson gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

In brief

167 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

8 Oct 2029
From our football correspondent Upbeat

Squad

Júlíus Magnússon: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” IF Elfsborg have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Market

Matěj Helebrand hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what IF Elfsborg can pretend not to have heard.

Squad

Thomas Isherwood stays put

“The easiest signature of my career.” Thomas Isherwood and IF Elfsborg agree another 4 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.

In brief

166 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

1 Oct 2029
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Arbër Zeneli says IF Elfsborg went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Market

Aleksandr Dovgal' asks to leave IF Elfsborg

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Match

IF Elfsborg come up short against BK Hacken

BK Hacken left with the points after a 1-2 defeat that will take some explaining on the terraces.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Sebastian Holmén

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Market

Thomas Isherwood linked with a move away

The name of Thomas Isherwood keeps appearing in other people's back pages. IF Elfsborg say nothing, which says plenty.

The terraces

Everybody has an opinion about Simon Hedlund

He is the name in every column and on every phone-in, which is a heavy thing to carry at any age. Some footballers thrive on it; others are quietly finished by it.

In brief

165 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

24 Sep 2029
From our football correspondent Upbeat

Match

IF Elfsborg make it 3 in a row

Momentum is a hard thing to buy and an easy thing to lose, and right now IF Elfsborg have 3 straight wins of it.

Squad

At 21, Ludvig Arvidsson is already the best thing here

An average of 7.04 in a first team he is several years too young for. IF Elfsborg have something, and by now the whole division has noticed.

Match

IF Elfsborg see off Falkenberg

Three points for IF Elfsborg, 3-1 the final word against Falkenberg in a contest settled by the finer margins.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Tim Erlandsson

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Squad

Martin Ellingsen knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at IF Elfsborg, and both men came out saying it was fine.

Market

The Kalle Joelsson talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. IF Elfsborg know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

Squad

Malte Hallin has taken the shirt

At 21 he is in the side on merit and somebody else is watching from the bench. Places at IF Elfsborg are won quietly and lost loudly.

Market

IF Elfsborg put Viktor Fiola up for sale

The list is a quiet document with a loud meaning. Viktor Fiola may talk to anybody who asks, and everybody at the club understands what that means.

Boardroom

The IF Elfsborg production line keeps running

16 graduates out of an academy now rated 11 out of 20. Clubs this size survive on exactly that, and the town knows every name.

In brief

164 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

17 Sep 2029
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Martin Ellingsen asks to leave IF Elfsborg

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Squad

Santino Piccinetti says IF Elfsborg went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Squad

Rufai Mohammed stays put

“The easiest signature of my career.” Rufai Mohammed and IF Elfsborg agree another 4 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.

Match

IF Elfsborg find a way past Gefle

Gefle made IF Elfsborg work for it, but the scoreboard read 1-0 at the end and the table does not ask how.

Squad

No place for Sebastian Holmén on the big day

He found out with everybody else, an hour before kick-off, from a sheet of paper on a wall. Nobody at IF Elfsborg pretended it was anything other than a decision about him.

Squad

Thembinkosi Lorch gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

In brief

163 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

10 Sep 2029
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

A one-man rearguard from Kalle Joelsson

There were 6 saves in it, and at least three that had no business being saves at all. The ten outfield players owe him a drink and they know it.

Squad

Leo Östman says IF Elfsborg went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Market

Matěj Helebrand hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what IF Elfsborg can pretend not to have heard.

Squad

Frederik Ihler gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Match

IF Elfsborg get the job done against Hammarby

A 1-0 win over Hammarby, earned rather than given, and the sort of afternoon that sends everyone home talking about next week instead of this one.

Squad

Arbër Zeneli finally opens his account

He wheeled away like a man who had been carrying it for months, because he had. IF Elfsborg have their signing off the mark and one press-conference question retired.

In brief

162 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

3 Sep 2029
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Ísak Andri Sigurgeirsson asks to leave IF Elfsborg

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Squad

Kalle Joelsson keeps IF Elfsborg in it on his own

Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 6 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.

Squad

Aleksandr Dovgal' says IF Elfsborg went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Match

4 matches without a win for IF Elfsborg

The run now stands at 4, and the questions being asked around IF Elfsborg are no longer polite ones.

Squad

Simon Hedlund stays put

“The easiest signature of my career.” Simon Hedlund and IF Elfsborg agree another 2 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.

Squad

IF Elfsborg lose Maksym Andrushchenko

25 days, the medical staff say, and medical staff are optimists by profession. The team sheet will look wrong without him.

In brief

161 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

27 Aug 2029
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Aleksandr Dovgal' hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what IF Elfsborg can pretend not to have heard.

Squad

Matěj Helebrand: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” IF Elfsborg have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Squad

Simon Hedlund gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Squad

Neo Drugge Hysén signs a new deal

“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Neo Drugge Hysén commits to IF Elfsborg for another 4 years.

Match

Honours even between IF Elfsborg and IFK Norrkoping

2-2, and both dressing rooms will call it two points lost. A draw that asked plenty of questions and answered none of them.

Squad

Sebastian Holmén asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

The terraces

Everybody has an opinion about Kalle Joelsson

He is the name in every column and on every phone-in, which is a heavy thing to carry at any age. Some footballers thrive on it; others are quietly finished by it.

Market

The Kalle Joelsson talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. IF Elfsborg know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

Market

The window shut and Maksym Andrushchenko is still in the building

IF Elfsborg spent a month trying to move him and nobody rang back. He trains with a squad that has told him where he stands, and both sides start counting down to the next one.

In brief

160 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

20 Aug 2029
From our football correspondent Crisis

Market

Martin Ellingsen asks to leave IF Elfsborg

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Market

Aleksandr Dovgal'’s move to Atvidaberg falls through

The deal that would have taken Aleksandr Dovgal' to Atvidaberg has collapsed at the last stage, and he reports back to IF Elfsborg with a summer to forget and a season still to play. Nobody is saying which side walked away.

Match

A bad afternoon for IF Elfsborg against Malmo FF

0-2 to Malmo FF, and no complaints worth printing. The performance asked for nothing more than it got.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Rufai Mohammed

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Squad

Simon Hedlund knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at IF Elfsborg, and both men came out saying it was fine.

Market

The Ludvig Arvidsson talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. IF Elfsborg know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

In brief

159 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

13 Aug 2029
From our football correspondent Crisis

Match

A hiding for IF Elfsborg

Beaten 0-3 by Orebro, and beaten everywhere it matters. The inquest starts on the training pitch on Monday morning.

Market

Kristian Onsrud asks to leave IF Elfsborg

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Squad

Simon Olsson gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Boardroom

Nobody left the IF Elfsborg dressing room in a hurry

The door stayed shut a long time after the final whistle. What was said in there is between them; whether it worked is between them and Saturday.

Squad

Arbër Zeneli knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at IF Elfsborg, and both men came out saying it was fine.

The terraces

The spotlight tightens on Simon Olsson

Every touch is being weighed now, in print and everywhere else. Some players grow into that and some are quietly ruined by it, and nobody knows which in advance.

In brief

158 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

6 Aug 2029
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Matěj Helebrand asks to leave IF Elfsborg

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Squad

Neo Drugge Hysén: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” IF Elfsborg have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Squad

IF Elfsborg lose Maksym Andrushchenko

55 days, the medical staff say, and medical staff are optimists by profession. The team sheet will look wrong without him.

Match

IF Elfsborg get the job done against Djurgarden

A 1-0 win over Djurgarden, earned rather than given, and the sort of afternoon that sends everyone home talking about next week instead of this one.

Squad

Ari Sigurpálsson stays put

“The easiest signature of my career.” Ari Sigurpálsson and IF Elfsborg agree another 4 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Guillermo Ortiz

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

In brief

157 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

30 Jul 2029
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Frederik Ihler gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Match

IF Elfsborg see off GIF Sundsvall

Three points for IF Elfsborg, 1-0 the final word against GIF Sundsvall in a contest settled by the finer margins.

Market

Thembinkosi Lorch is free to find somewhere else

“I was told straight, and I would rather have it straight.” The manager at IF Elfsborg has been clear about where Thembinkosi Lorch stands, which is more than many ever get.

Squad

Tim Erlandsson knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at IF Elfsborg, and both men came out saying it was fine.

Market

The Kalle Joelsson talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. IF Elfsborg know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

Squad

Guillermo Ortiz unhappy with how he is being used

Asked to play a role that is not his, or taken off before the hour once too often — Guillermo Ortiz has let it be known that he does not like the way IF Elfsborg are using him. Managers hear this long before the press does.

Squad

Lucas Kåhed scores at last

The wait is over, and the relief was visible from the back of the stand. 3 for the season, and the next one always comes easier.

Market

Nils Roström leaves for nothing

Contract settled, hands shaken, no fee changing hands. Nils Roström leaves IF Elfsborg the quiet way, and the wage bill breathes a little easier.

Boardroom

The IF Elfsborg production line keeps running

16 graduates out of an academy now rated 11 out of 20. Clubs this size survive on exactly that, and the town knows every name.

In brief

156 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

23 Jul 2029
From our football correspondent Crisis

Match

4 matches without a win for IF Elfsborg

The run now stands at 4, and the questions being asked around IF Elfsborg are no longer polite ones.

Match

Halmstad take the points off IF Elfsborg

Beaten 0-1, and beaten fairly. The manager kept his words short afterwards, which was probably wise.

Squad

Thembinkosi Lorch gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Market

Kristian Onsrud is free to find somewhere else

“I was told straight, and I would rather have it straight.” The manager at IF Elfsborg has been clear about where Kristian Onsrud stands, which is more than many ever get.

Squad

Simon Olsson suspended

One booking too many, and Simon Olsson sits out. IF Elfsborg lose him for the sort of avoidable reason that makes a manager's week longer.

Market

Experience through the door at IF Elfsborg

Martin Ellingsen arrives at 34 with nothing left to prove and plenty left to pass on. Legs are a young man's currency; knowing where to stand never ages.

In brief

155 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

16 Jul 2029
From our football correspondent Crisis

Market

Aleksandr Dovgal' hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what IF Elfsborg can pretend not to have heard.

Squad

Abdo Nader: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” IF Elfsborg have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Match

A bad afternoon for IF Elfsborg against Helsingborg

0-1 to Helsingborg, and no complaints worth printing. The performance asked for nothing more than it got.

Market

Matěj Helebrand is free to find somewhere else

“I was told straight, and I would rather have it straight.” The manager at IF Elfsborg has been clear about where Matěj Helebrand stands, which is more than many ever get.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Tim Erlandsson

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Market

Frederik Ihler linked with a move away

The name of Frederik Ihler keeps appearing in other people's back pages. IF Elfsborg say nothing, which says plenty.

In brief

154 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

9 Jul 2029
From our football correspondent Crisis

Squad

Aleksandr Dovgal' says IF Elfsborg went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Squad

Niklas Hult signs a new deal

“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Niklas Hult commits to IF Elfsborg for another 2 years.

Match

IF Elfsborg come up short against IFK Goteborg

IFK Goteborg left with the points after a 1-3 defeat that will take some explaining on the terraces.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Simon Hedlund

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

The terraces

The spotlight tightens on Kalle Joelsson

Every touch is being weighed now, in print and everywhere else. Some players grow into that and some are quietly ruined by it, and nobody knows which in advance.

Market

Thomas Isherwood linked with a move away

The name of Thomas Isherwood keeps appearing in other people's back pages. IF Elfsborg say nothing, which says plenty.

In brief

153 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

2 Jul 2029
From our football correspondent Crisis

Squad

Niklas Hult stays put

“The easiest signature of my career.” Niklas Hult and IF Elfsborg agree another 2 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.

Squad

Sebastian Holmén gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Match

Kalmar FF take the points off IF Elfsborg

Beaten 0-1, and beaten fairly. The manager kept his words short afterwards, which was probably wise.

Squad

Ludwig Svanberg out for 25 days

The medical room confirms 25 days on the sidelines for Ludwig Svanberg, and a plan built around him now has to be rebuilt.

The terraces

Everybody has an opinion about Arbër Zeneli

He is the name in every column and on every phone-in, which is a heavy thing to carry at any age. Some footballers thrive on it; others are quietly finished by it.

Squad

Sebastian Holmén is not saying it is over

“Ask me in the summer. I will know before anybody else does.” He is 37 with 60 appearances behind him, and IF Elfsborg have to plan for both answers.

In brief

152 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

25 Jun 2029
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Match

IF Elfsborg see off Atvidaberg

Three points for IF Elfsborg, 2-1 the final word against Atvidaberg in a contest settled by the finer margins.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Guillermo Ortiz

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Market

The Ludvig Arvidsson talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. IF Elfsborg know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

Squad

Thembinkosi Lorch asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

Squad

The shirt belongs to Simon Hedlund now

At 36 he has made the position his own, and the man he took it from has to find something to say about it. IF Elfsborg have a decision that made itself.

Squad

Somebody is after Malte Hallin’s shirt

A new face in his position, and Malte Hallin suddenly has to win back what he thought he owned. IF Elfsborg have promised nothing — clubs rarely do at this stage.

In brief

151 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

18 Jun 2029
From our football correspondent Crisis

Match

No end in sight to IF Elfsborg's wait for a win

8 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at IF Elfsborg has to find a result from somewhere.

Squad

Tim Erlandsson: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” IF Elfsborg have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Market

Aleksandr Dovgal' hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what IF Elfsborg can pretend not to have heard.

Match

A bad afternoon for IF Elfsborg against BK Hacken

1-3 to BK Hacken, and no complaints worth printing. The performance asked for nothing more than it got.

Squad

Rufai Mohammed gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Squad

Kalle Joelsson lets one through his hands

A defender's mistake gets tidied up by somebody else; a goalkeeper's ends up in the net. He knew before the ball crossed the line, and so did everybody in the ground.

In brief

150 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

11 Jun 2029
From our football correspondent Uneasy

Match

No end in sight to IF Elfsborg's wait for a win

7 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at IF Elfsborg has to find a result from somewhere.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Frederik Ihler

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Match

IF Elfsborg share the spoils with Falkenberg

A 1-1 draw with Falkenberg leaves the dressing room somewhere between relief and regret.

In brief

149 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

4 Jun 2029
From our football correspondent Crisis

Match

No end in sight to IF Elfsborg's wait for a win

6 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at IF Elfsborg has to find a result from somewhere.

Squad

Santino Piccinetti: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” IF Elfsborg have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Kalle Joelsson

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Match

A bad afternoon for IF Elfsborg against Gefle

0-1 to Gefle, and no complaints worth printing. The performance asked for nothing more than it got.

Boardroom

Nobody left the IF Elfsborg dressing room in a hurry

The door stayed shut a long time after the final whistle. What was said in there is between them; whether it worked is between them and Saturday.

Market

The Kalle Joelsson talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. IF Elfsborg know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

In brief

148 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

28 May 2029
From our football correspondent Crisis

Squad

Kalle Joelsson keeps IF Elfsborg in it on his own

Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 12 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.

Match

5 matches without a win for IF Elfsborg

The run now stands at 5, and the questions being asked around IF Elfsborg are no longer polite ones.

Match

A bad afternoon for IF Elfsborg against Hammarby

1-3 to Hammarby, and no complaints worth printing. The performance asked for nothing more than it got.

Squad

Simon Hedlund gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Market

Ludvig Arvidsson linked with a move away

The name of Ludvig Arvidsson keeps appearing in other people's back pages. IF Elfsborg say nothing, which says plenty.

The terraces

Everybody has an opinion about Maksym Andrushchenko

He is the name in every column and on every phone-in, which is a heavy thing to carry at any age. Some footballers thrive on it; others are quietly finished by it.

In brief

147 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

21 May 2029
From our football correspondent Crisis

Market

Aleksandr Dovgal' asks to leave IF Elfsborg

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Squad

Aleksandr Dovgal' says IF Elfsborg went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Match

4 matches without a win for IF Elfsborg

The run now stands at 4, and the questions being asked around IF Elfsborg are no longer polite ones.

Squad

Ludvig Arvidsson signs a new deal

“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Ludvig Arvidsson commits to IF Elfsborg for another 5 years.

Match

AIK take the points off IF Elfsborg

Beaten 2-3, and beaten fairly. The manager kept his words short afterwards, which was probably wise.

Squad

Niklas Hult gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

The terraces

The spotlight tightens on Kalle Joelsson

Every touch is being weighed now, in print and everywhere else. Some players grow into that and some are quietly ruined by it, and nobody knows which in advance.

Squad

Simon Hedlund knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at IF Elfsborg, and both men came out saying it was fine.

Market

The Frederik Ihler talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. IF Elfsborg know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

In brief

146 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

14 May 2029
From our football correspondent Crisis

Market

Matěj Helebrand hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what IF Elfsborg can pretend not to have heard.

Squad

Abdo Nader: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” IF Elfsborg have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Squad

Sebastian Holmén gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Match

IF Elfsborg come up short against IFK Norrkoping

IFK Norrkoping left with the points after a 0-1 defeat that will take some explaining on the terraces.

The terraces

Everybody has an opinion about Arbër Zeneli

He is the name in every column and on every phone-in, which is a heavy thing to carry at any age. Some footballers thrive on it; others are quietly finished by it.

Squad

Simon Hedlund asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

In brief

145 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

7 May 2029
From our football correspondent Steady

Match

The cup run ends for IF Elfsborg

0-1 against Helsingborg, and the road stops here. Cup exits are quick deaths — no second leg, no next week, just the league from now until May.

Squad

Kalle Joelsson keeps IF Elfsborg in it on his own

Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 7 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.

Squad

Sebastian Holmén stays put

“The easiest signature of my career.” Sebastian Holmén and IF Elfsborg agree another 2 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.

Squad

IF Elfsborg lose Tim Erlandsson

43 days, the medical staff say, and medical staff are optimists by profession. The team sheet will look wrong without him.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Guillermo Ortiz

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Match

IF Elfsborg share the spoils with Malmo FF

A 1-1 draw with Malmo FF leaves the dressing room somewhere between relief and regret.

In brief

144 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

30 Apr 2029
From our football correspondent Upbeat

Market

Gabriel Kulla hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what IF Elfsborg can pretend not to have heard.

Match

Still nobody has beaten IF Elfsborg

The unbeaten run reaches 6. Some of them were wins and some were escapes, but a side that refuses to lose is a side other dressing rooms talk about.

Match

IF Elfsborg find a way past Orebro

Orebro made IF Elfsborg work for it, but the scoreboard read 1-0 at the end and the table does not ask how.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Ísak Andri Sigurgeirsson

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Squad

Arbër Zeneli knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at IF Elfsborg, and both men came out saying it was fine.

Market

Ludvig Arvidsson linked with a move away

The name of Ludvig Arvidsson keeps appearing in other people's back pages. IF Elfsborg say nothing, which says plenty.

In brief

143 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

23 Apr 2029
From our football correspondent Upbeat

Squad

Guillermo Ortiz: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” IF Elfsborg have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Market

Aleksandr Dovgal' asks to leave IF Elfsborg

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Match

IF Elfsborg find a way past Djurgarden

Djurgarden made IF Elfsborg work for it, but the scoreboard read 3-1 at the end and the table does not ask how.

Squad

Kalle Joelsson gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Squad

Arbër Zeneli asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

Squad

Ludvig Arvidsson finally opens his account

He wheeled away like a man who had been carrying it for months, because he had. IF Elfsborg have their signing off the mark and one press-conference question retired.

In brief

142 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

16 Apr 2029
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Matěj Helebrand hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what IF Elfsborg can pretend not to have heard.

Squad

Kalle Joelsson keeps IF Elfsborg in it on his own

Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 7 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Matěj Helebrand

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Match

IF Elfsborg and GIF Sundsvall take a point apiece

It finished 2-2, and it somehow always looked like it would. One of those afternoons where the table moves less than the tempers.

Squad

Carl Gustafsson finally opens his account

He wheeled away like a man who had been carrying it for months, because he had. IF Elfsborg have their signing off the mark and one press-conference question retired.

Squad

Lucas Kåhed finally opens his account

He wheeled away like a man who had been carrying it for months, because he had. IF Elfsborg have their signing off the mark and one press-conference question retired.

In brief

141 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

9 Apr 2029
From our football correspondent Upbeat

Squad

IF Elfsborg lose Simon Hedlund

22 days, the medical staff say, and medical staff are optimists by profession. The team sheet will look wrong without him.

Squad

Tim Erlandsson signs a new deal

“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Tim Erlandsson commits to IF Elfsborg for another 2 years.

Match

IF Elfsborg get the job done against Halmstad

A 1-0 win over Halmstad, earned rather than given, and the sort of afternoon that sends everyone home talking about next week instead of this one.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Kristian Onsrud

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Squad

Frederik Ihler finally opens his account

He wheeled away like a man who had been carrying it for months, because he had. IF Elfsborg have their signing off the mark and one press-conference question retired.

Market

IF Elfsborg bring in an old head

Pius Ibrahim is 40 and has run out of things to prove. What he has left is where to stand, when to slow it down and what to say at half-time, and none of that is on a fitness chart.

Market

Kalle Joelsson linked with a move away

The name of Kalle Joelsson keeps appearing in other people's back pages. IF Elfsborg say nothing, which says plenty.

The terraces

The spotlight tightens on Ísak Andri Sigurgeirsson

Every touch is being weighed now, in print and everywhere else. Some players grow into that and some are quietly ruined by it, and nobody knows which in advance.

Market

Window shut, Maksym Andrushchenko still here

IF Elfsborg spent the window trying to move Maksym Andrushchenko on and nobody came. He trains with a squad that has already told him he is not part of it, and both sides now wait for the next one.

In brief

140 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

2 Apr 2029
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Adam Tankovic is a IF Elfsborg player again

He left as a boy and has come back still knowing where the away end is. Most signings have to be explained to a town; this one needed a photograph and nothing else.

Market

Ludwig Krafth is a IF Elfsborg player again

He left as a boy and has come back still knowing where the away end is. Most signings have to be explained to a town; this one needed a photograph and nothing else.

Market

Alexander Tankovic comes home

The shirt still fits. Alexander Tankovic is back at IF Elfsborg, and half the ground remembers him in these colours already. Some signings need selling to the town; this one sold itself.

Market

Erik Forsberg comes home

The shirt still fits. Erik Forsberg is back at IF Elfsborg, and half the ground remembers him in these colours already. Some signings need selling to the town; this one sold itself.

Squad

Tim Erlandsson stays put

“The easiest signature of my career.” Tim Erlandsson and IF Elfsborg agree another 2 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.

Boardroom

IF Elfsborg are making the ground bigger

Work is signed off on a capacity of 14405. It is the sort of decision a club is judged on twenty years later, by people who were not there when it was taken.

In brief

139 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

26 Mar 2029
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Santino Piccinetti asks to leave IF Elfsborg

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Squad

Abdo Nader gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Market

The Frederik Ihler talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. IF Elfsborg know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

In brief

138 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

19 Mar 2029
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Leo Östman signs a new deal

“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Leo Östman commits to IF Elfsborg for another 4 years.

Market

A long bet from IF Elfsborg on Albert Tamoyan

He is 19, and nobody at IF Elfsborg signed him for this season. Deals like this are judged in four years, by people who may not still be in the building.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Júlíus Magnússon

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

In brief

137 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

12 Mar 2029
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Simon Hedlund out for 51 days

The medical room confirms 51 days on the sidelines for Simon Hedlund, and a plan built around him now has to be rebuilt.

Market

Per Frick moves on

Helsingborg pay $61.0K, and the deal is done. The number reads well on a balance sheet; whether it reads well on the pitch is next season's question.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Leo Östman

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Squad

Arbër Zeneli asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

Market

The Ludvig Arvidsson talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. IF Elfsborg know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

Squad

Frederik Ihler has company in his position

The competition arrived without a word said to him about it. Frederik Ihler keeps the shirt for now, at IF Elfsborg's convenience rather than his own.

In brief

136 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

5 Mar 2029
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Maksym Andrushchenko hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what IF Elfsborg can pretend not to have heard.

Squad

Abdo Nader: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” IF Elfsborg have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Squad

Simon Olsson stays put

“The easiest signature of my career.” Simon Olsson and IF Elfsborg agree another 3 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.

Squad

Simon Hedlund gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Squad

IF Elfsborg lose Filip Lustig

19 days, the medical staff say, and medical staff are optimists by profession. The team sheet will look wrong without him.

Market

Viking expected to open talks for Gabriel Kulla

Both sides expect a conversation in the coming days. IF Elfsborg will name a price, and everything after that is arithmetic.

In brief

135 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

26 Feb 2029
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Aleksandr Dovgal' asks to leave IF Elfsborg

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Market

Gabriel Kulla attracts admirers

The name of Gabriel Kulla has come up in conversations IF Elfsborg were not part of. Nothing formal, nothing signed — but nothing about it accidental either.

Squad

Aleksandr Dovgal' gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Squad

Ísak Andri Sigurgeirsson asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

Market

The Frederik Ihler talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. IF Elfsborg know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

Market

IF Elfsborg put Maksym Kulish up for sale

The list is a quiet document with a loud meaning. Maksym Kulish may talk to anybody who asks, and everybody at the club understands what that means.

In brief

134 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

19 Feb 2029
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Matěj Helebrand hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what IF Elfsborg can pretend not to have heard.

Squad

Tim Erlandsson out for 37 days

The medical room confirms 37 days on the sidelines for Tim Erlandsson, and a plan built around him now has to be rebuilt.

Squad

Erik Grandelius signs a new deal

“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Erik Grandelius commits to IF Elfsborg for another 3 years.

Market

IF Elfsborg bring in an old head

Guillermo Ortiz is 37 and has run out of things to prove. What he has left is where to stand, when to slow it down and what to say at half-time, and none of that is on a fitness chart.

Market

The Thomas Isherwood talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. IF Elfsborg know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

Market

IF Elfsborg put Aleksandr Dovgal' up for sale

The list is a quiet document with a loud meaning. Aleksandr Dovgal' may talk to anybody who asks, and everybody at the club understands what that means.

In brief

133 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

12 Feb 2029
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Ibrahim Buhari sold, and an era ends

$2.0M from Orebro for Ibrahim Buhari. Money is money, but the dressing room has lost the man it looked to.

Market

AIK come back empty-handed

The bid was some way short and IF Elfsborg did not need long over it. Nobody in the game reads a first refusal as the end of anything.

Market

Sixten Gustafsson is a IF Elfsborg player

The fee is $800.0K, the contract is signed, and the argument about whether he is worth it can begin. AIK drove a hard bargain; time will say who won it.

Squad

IF Elfsborg lose Simon Hedlund

84 days, the medical staff say, and medical staff are optimists by profession. The team sheet will look wrong without him.

Market

Kevin Appiah Nyarko is a IF Elfsborg player

The fee is $280.0K, the contract is signed, and the argument about whether he is worth it can begin. Helsingborg drove a hard bargain; time will say who won it.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Leo Östman

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

In brief

132 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

5 Feb 2029
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Djurgarden come back empty-handed

The bid was some way short and IF Elfsborg did not need long over it. Nobody in the game reads a first refusal as the end of anything.

Squad

Simon Hedlund signs a new deal

“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Simon Hedlund commits to IF Elfsborg for another 2 years.

Squad

Filip Lustig out for 48 days

The medical room confirms 48 days on the sidelines for Filip Lustig, and a plan built around him now has to be rebuilt.

Market

Aleksandr Dovgal' is free to find somewhere else

“I was told straight, and I would rather have it straight.” The manager at IF Elfsborg has been clear about where Aleksandr Dovgal' stands, which is more than many ever get.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Santino Piccinetti

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Squad

IF Elfsborg lose Erik Grandelius

24 days, the medical staff say, and medical staff are optimists by profession. The team sheet will look wrong without him.

In brief

131 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

29 Jan 2029
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Ibrahim Buhari hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what IF Elfsborg can pretend not to have heard.

Squad

Abdo Nader says IF Elfsborg went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Squad

Tim Erlandsson asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

In brief

130 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

22 Jan 2029
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Tim Erlandsson out for 67 days

The medical room confirms 67 days on the sidelines for Tim Erlandsson, and a plan built around him now has to be rebuilt.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Aleksandr Dovgal'

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Squad

Tim Erlandsson knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at IF Elfsborg, and both men came out saying it was fine.

In brief

129 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

15 Jan 2029
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Leo Östman: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” IF Elfsborg have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Squad

Simon Hedlund out for 115 days

The medical room confirms 115 days on the sidelines for Simon Hedlund, and a plan built around him now has to be rebuilt.

Squad

Ísak Andri Sigurgeirsson asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

In brief

128 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

8 Jan 2029
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Ísak Andri Sigurgeirsson: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” IF Elfsborg have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Squad

Erik Grandelius out for 57 days

The medical room confirms 57 days on the sidelines for Erik Grandelius, and a plan built around him now has to be rebuilt.

Squad

Leo Östman gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

In brief

127 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

1 Jan 2029
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Ibrahim Buhari hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what IF Elfsborg can pretend not to have heard.

Squad

Santino Piccinetti gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Squad

Arbër Zeneli asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

In brief

126 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

25 Dec 2028
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Frederik Ihler linked with a move away

The name of Frederik Ihler keeps appearing in other people's back pages. IF Elfsborg say nothing, which says plenty.

Squad

Tim Erlandsson keeps his manager's vote

The message was aimed at the stands as much as the dressing room: Tim Erlandsson plays, and the argument is closed until the manager decides otherwise.

Squad

Rasmus Nehrman is out on the grass again

He came through the session, took part in everything and finished it smiling. IF Elfsborg will not rush him, and he will spend the next fortnight trying to rush them.

125 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

18 Dec 2028
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Thomas Isherwood linked with a move away

The name of Thomas Isherwood keeps appearing in other people's back pages. IF Elfsborg say nothing, which says plenty.

Squad

Erik Grandelius asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

Boardroom

IF Elfsborg keep producing them

10 graduates from an academy now rated 11 out of 20. A club this size does not survive any other way, and every name on that list is known in the town.

In brief

124 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

11 Dec 2028
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Júlíus Magnússon stays put

“The easiest signature of my career.” Júlíus Magnússon and IF Elfsborg agree another 2 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.

Squad

Kristian Onsrud gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Squad

Júlíus Magnússon knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at IF Elfsborg, and both men came out saying it was fine.

In brief

123 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

4 Dec 2028
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Ibrahim Buhari hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what IF Elfsborg can pretend not to have heard.

Squad

Júlíus Magnússon says IF Elfsborg went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Squad

Niklas Hult signs a new deal

“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Niklas Hult commits to IF Elfsborg for another 2 years.

In brief

122 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

27 Nov 2028
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Matěj Helebrand hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what IF Elfsborg can pretend not to have heard.

Squad

Simon Hedlund says IF Elfsborg went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Matěj Helebrand

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

In brief

121 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

20 Nov 2028
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Arbër Zeneli says IF Elfsborg went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Squad

Simon Hedlund knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at IF Elfsborg, and both men came out saying it was fine.

Market

Thomas Isherwood linked with a move away

The name of Thomas Isherwood keeps appearing in other people's back pages. IF Elfsborg say nothing, which says plenty.

In brief

120 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

13 Nov 2028
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Ibrahim Buhari says IF Elfsborg went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Santino Piccinetti

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Squad

Arbër Zeneli knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at IF Elfsborg, and both men came out saying it was fine.

In brief

119 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

6 Nov 2028
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Ibrahim Buhari hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what IF Elfsborg can pretend not to have heard.

Squad

The manager makes an example of Sebastian Holmén

“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.

Squad

Lucas Hägg Johansson knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at IF Elfsborg, and both men came out saying it was fine.

In brief

118 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

30 Oct 2028
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Ísak Andri Sigurgeirsson knocks on the manager's door

“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at IF Elfsborg, and both men came out saying it was fine.

Market

Frederik Ihler linked with a move away

The name of Frederik Ihler keeps appearing in other people's back pages. IF Elfsborg say nothing, which says plenty.

Squad

Ibrahim Buhari named in the team of the week

A rating of 6.90 was enough for the selectors, and nobody who watched the match is going to argue with them.

In brief

117 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

23 Oct 2028
From our football correspondent Upbeat

Market

Matěj Helebrand asks to leave IF Elfsborg

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Squad

Lucas Hägg Johansson: that is not what I was promised

“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” IF Elfsborg have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.

Match

IF Elfsborg get the job done against Helsingborg

A 1-0 win over Helsingborg, earned rather than given, and the sort of afternoon that sends everyone home talking about next week instead of this one.

Squad

Aleksandr Dovgal' gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Squad

Ísak Andri Sigurgeirsson asks for a word with the manager

“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.

Market

Thomas Isherwood linked with a move away

The name of Thomas Isherwood keeps appearing in other people's back pages. IF Elfsborg say nothing, which says plenty.

In brief

116 Edition

The IF Elfsborg Post

16 Oct 2028
From our football correspondent Steady

Squad

Kristoffer Augustinsson says IF Elfsborg went back on their word

“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.

Squad

Simon Hedlund gets it from the manager

“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.

Match

IF Elfsborg share the spoils with IFK Goteborg

A 1-1 draw with IFK Goteborg leaves the dressing room somewhere between relief and regret.

In brief