With July coming up fast Swedish clubs that will be playing in the Champions League and Europa League will be hoping for a good run in the competitions.
With AIK in the champions league, Elfsborg, IFK Goteborg, Kalmar and Gefle will represent the country in the Europa league.
Champions league:
People are worried about AIK this season. With the side struggling in the Allsvenskan, a champions league campaign is possibly too much a burden on the side. They won the title in 2009 despite scoring just 36 goals in 30 games. The club is weaker than last year which leaves critics saying AIK won't get beyond the 2nd qualifying round. With the departure of the likes of Daniel Örlund and Iván Óbolo both of whom were vital in that league and cup double last year has hit the club hard this year. Leading scorer this year Miran Burgič has also departed for Austria and with the club in the relegation zone at the summer break things are not looking rosy at Råsunda.
Europa League:
IFK Göteborg are off the pace in the league and have suffered some big name departures over the years. But they will be gearing up for what could be a good run in Europe. Despite narrowly missing out last year on the double IFK unlike their rivals AIK are in better shape this season. They maybe mid-table in the Allsvenskan but are on a fine run of form. Players such as Tobias Hysén, Robin Söder and Ragnar Sigurdsson will be vital. IFK start in the 3rd qualifying round thanks to their 2nd place finish last year.
Elfsborg will also be representing Sweden this year and hopes are high for a good run. Last year they beat Sporting Braga en route to exiting at the hands of a superior Lazio side but the effort was there which could help Elfsborg this year. Staring in the 2nd qualifying round, Elfsborg could face some good teams. Sides such as Shamrock Rovers and Sporting Fingal from Ireland as well as the some of the sides that will come in from the 1st qualifying round that features the likes of Anorthosis, Sibenik and Dundalk.
Kalmar are possibly going into the Europa League in the best of form. Despite a sluggish start they have turned their form around and are among the names chasing for a Europa league place for next season. They start the Europa League this year in the 1st qualifying round as one of the seeded teams, which means they could face 'easier' opposition such as Zeta, Llanelli and Glentoran but will want to avoid the long trip to Tobol.
Gefle are involved after winning the fair play league last season and hopes are high for a good run themselves. One of the seeded sides that start in the 1st qualifying round they will be targeting a 2nd qualifying round place at least which would mean they are seeded in the 2nd qualifying round also, thus avoiding the big names.
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