History

Malmö FF is by far Sweden’s most successful football club, with 27 league victories, 24 championship titles, and 16 cup titles. However, everything has a beginning, and Malmö FF’s history began in a restaurant behind the stands of Malmö IP on February 24, 1910. There, a group of men gathered to found Malmö Fotbollförening. Werner Mårtensson was elected as the first chairman, and the first game was played against IFK Hässleholm, ending in a 1-2 loss. Since then, however, the club has secured countless victories. Here is a brief history, decade by decade.

Malmö FF’s Most Notable Achievements

23 championship titles
(1944, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1953, 1965, 1967, 1970, 1971, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1986, 1988, 2004, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2021, 2023)

26 allsvenska league victories
(1944, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1953, 1965, 1967, 1970, 1971, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 2004, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2021, 2023)

16 cup titles
(1944, 1946, 1947, 1951, 1953, 1967, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1978, 1980, 1984, 1986, 1989, 2022, 2024)

European Cup Final
(1979)

Svenska Dagbladet’s gold medal
(1979)

Champions League-group stage
(2014, 2015, 2021)

Europa League-group stage
(2011, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2024)

1910 – 1919

1910. Malmö Fotbollförening is founded on February 24. Matches are played at Malmö IP, which was inaugurated in 1896. The team’s uniform is decided in July to be red and white striped jerseys.

1912. Malmö FF makes its first trip abroad, traveling to Bornholm in Denmark, where a friendly match is played.

1916. Fritz Landgren is elected chairman, serving a total of 13 years over three periods until 1933.

1920 – 1929

1920. The sky-blue match shirts are used for the first time during a summer tour in Germany. The Swedish Football Association revives the national football league after a few years of hiatus, placing Malmö FF in Division 2 Sydsvenska, one of five regional Division 2 leagues.

1921. Malmö FF wins Division 2 of the Sydsvenska league in the 1920/21 season.

1922. Malmö FF’s annual meeting decides that the official match uniform should consist of sky-blue shirts and white pants. In the 1922/23 season, Malmö FF plays for the first time in the highest division of Swedish football.

1923. Malmö FF finishes in sixth and last place in the Swedish league’s western group and is relegated to Division 2.

1924. Allsvenskan is established as the highest Swedish football league. Malmö FF plays in Division 2 of the Sydsvenska league, which continues to be the second-highest division.

1927. Malmö FF wins the Skåne district championship for the first time.

Eric Persson (in the middle) is elected chairman in 1937.

1930 – 1939

1931. Malmö FF wins Division 2 South in the 1930/31 season and is thus promoted to Allsvenskan for the following season. The club badge changes design to the shield that forms the basis of today’s club badge.

1934. Malmö FF is reported for unauthorized payments to players, and the Swedish Football Association’s investigation shows that this has been done in violation of amateur regulations. Malmö FF is disqualified from Allsvenskan during the current season. The board is dissolved, and the players are declared professionals. After a while, the players are pardoned, allowing Malmö FF to play with its original team in Division 2 in the 1934/35 season.

1935. Malmö FF wins Division 2 South but loses the qualification for Allsvenskan against Gårda BK.

1936. Malmö FF wins Division 2 South and is promoted to Allsvenskan after a win in the qualifier against Billingsfors IK.

1937. After serving the disqualification awarded to the board three years earlier, Eric Persson is elected chairman of Malmö FF, holding this post for 38 years. A bust of Eric Persson can be found today in the stand of honor, looking out over the stadium.

1939. Malmö FF becomes the first club in Sweden to have numbers on its match shirts.

Malmö FF chairmen through the years.

Werner Mårtensson (1910–1913)
Bertin Nilsson (1914–1915)
Fritz Landgren (1916–1918)
Janne Johansson (1919–1921)
Fritz Landgren (1922–1926)
Janne Johansson (1927–1928)
Fritz Landgren (1929–1934)
C.E. Eriksson (1934–1936)
Eric Persson (1937–1974)
Hans Cavalli-Björkman (1975–1998)
Bengt Madsen (1999–2009)
Håkan Jeppsson (2010–2018)
Anders Pålsson (2018–)

1940 – 1949

1944. Malmö FF becomes Swedish champions for the first time in the 1943/44 season after winning Allsvenskan. Malmö FF also becomes champions of the Swedish Cup for the first time.

1946. Malmö FF becomes champions of the Swedish Cup for the second time.

1947. Malmö FF becomes champions of the Swedish Cup for the third time.

1949. Malmö FF becomes Swedish champions for the second time after winning Allsvenskan in 1948/49. The club embarks on its first tour to another continent, specifically Brazil, where seven friendlies are played over five weeks. Upon returning home, Malmö FF introduces a new type of football boot to Swedish football, inspired by the Brazilian model. The boots come to be known as the “Malmökängan.”

1950 – 1959

1950. Malmö FF becomes Swedish champions after winning Allsvenskan 1949/50. The stats read 20 wins, two draws, and no defeats.

1951. Malmö FF becomes Swedish champions for the third consecutive year after winning Allsvenskan 1950/51. A streak of 49 straight league games without a defeat ends in the final round of the league, a record that still stands. Malmö FF also wins the Swedish Cup.

1953. Malmö FF becomes Swedish champions for the fifth time after winning Allsvenskan 1952/53 and also secures the Swedish Cup for the fifth time.

1958. Malmö Stadion is inaugurated in connection with the World Cup in Sweden and becomes Malmö FF’s new home ground, marking the club’s departure from Malmö IP after 48 years.

1959. Allsvenskan switches to being played over a calendar year instead of starting in the fall and ending in the spring.

Malmö FF coaches through the years.

Ernst Hjertberg (1917-1917)
Hans Ruff (1922-1922)
Carl Wijk (1932-1934)
Václav Simon (1935-1937)
Harry Lundahl (1937-1941)
Carl Ahlberg (1941-1943)
Sven Nilsson (1944-1944)
István Wampetits (1945-1945)
Sven Nilsson (1945-1947)
Kálmán Konrád (1947-1950)
Sven Nilsson (1950-1950)
Bert Turner (1951-1955)
Pepi Stroh (1955-1958)
Nils-Åke Sandell (1959-1963)
Antonio Durán (1964-1971)
Karl-Erik Hult (1972-1973)
Bob Houghton (1974-1980)
Keith Blunt (1980-1982)
Tord Grip (1983-1984)
Roy Hodgson (1985-1989)
Bob Houghton (1990-1992)
Viggo Jensen (1992-1993)
Rolf Zetterlund (1994-1996)
Frans Thijssen (1997-1998)
Roland Andersson (1998-1999)
Michael Andersson (2000-2001)
Tom Prahl (2002-2005)
Sören Åkeby (2006-2007)
Roland Nilsson (2008-2011)
Rikard Norling (2011-2013)
Åge Hareide (2014-2015)
Allan Kuhn (2016-2016)
Magnus Pehrsson (2016-2018)
Daniel Andersson (2018-2018)
Uwe Rösler (2018-2019)
Jon Dahl Tomasson (2019-2021)
Milos Milojevic (2022-2022)
Andreas Georgsson (2022-2022)
Åge Hareide (2022-2022)
Henrik Rydström (2022-)

1960 – 1969

1964: Antonio Duran becomes the coach of Malmö FF and stays in the role until the end of the 1971 season. During his time at Malmö FF, he wins the Swedish championship four times, making him the coach with the most Swedish championships in the club’s history. Malmö FF participates in the European Cup for the first time.

1965: Malmö FF becomes Swedish champions after winning Allsvenskan.

1967: Malmö FF becomes Swedish champions after winning Allsvenskan, we also win the Swedish Cup.

In 1974, Bob Houghton is hired as head coach.

1970 – 1979

1970. Malmö FF becomes Swedish champions after winning Allsvenskan. The club’s first women’s team is formed, remaining part of Malmö FF until 2007, when it changes its name.

1971. The Malmö FF men’s team becomes Swedish champions after winning Allsvenskan. The Malmö FF women’s team participates in league games for the first time.

1972. The club badge is improved to include the name Malmö FF and a six-pointed star under the shield. The star is taken from Malmö city’s first seal, dating back to the 14th century.

1973. The Malmö FF men’s team becomes champions of the Swedish Cup. The Swedish Football Association establishes an official Swedish women’s championship.

1974. Bob Houghton becomes coach of Malmö FF’s men’s team and remains in the role until after the 1979 season. The Malmö FF men’s team becomes Swedish champions for the tenth time and also wins the Swedish Cup.

1975. Eric Persson resigns as chairman, and Hans Cavalli-Björkman is elected as the new chairman. The Malmö FF men’s team becomes Swedish champions and wins the Swedish Cup. Malmö FF reaches the quarter-finals of the Men’s Cup Winners’ Cup. As a first step toward becoming a professional association, Malmö FF introduces youth professionals, allowing some young players to receive part-time salaries as footballers.

1977. The Malmö FF men’s team becomes Swedish champions.

1978. The Malmö FF men’s team becomes champions of the Swedish Cup for the tenth time. The first two rounds of the 1978/79 Men’s European Cup (today’s Champions League) are played. Malmö FF defeats Monaco and Dynamo Kyiv, advancing to the quarter-finals. A women’s national league pyramid is introduced, with regional Division 1 leagues as the highest level. Malmö FF’s previous women’s team plays in Division 2 Southern Götaland.

1979. Malmö FF defeats Wisla Krakow in the quarter-finals and Austria Wien in the semi-finals, reaching the final of the men’s European Cup (today’s Champions League). In the final, held at the Olympic Stadium in Munich, with approximately 10,000 Malmö supporters in attendance, Malmö FF is defeated by Nottingham Forest 0–1. Malmö FF is awarded Svenska Dagbladet’s “Bragdguldet” for the year’s biggest sporting achievement in Sweden.

Tommy Hansson celebrates after his goal in the semifinal against Austria Wien in 1979.

1980 – 1989

1980. The Malmö FF men’s team becomes champions of the Swedish Cup. As Nottingham Forest declines, Malmö FF has the opportunity to play in the final of the Men’s Intercontinental Cup against Club Olimpia from Paraguay, the winners of the South American Copa Libertadores. The first match is played in November 1979 and the second in March 1980. Malmö FF loses 0–1 and 1–2.

1981. Malmö FF’s former women’s team plays in Division 1 South, the highest league in Swedish women’s football, for the first time.

1984. The Malmö FF men’s team becomes champions of the Swedish Cup.

1985. Roy Hodgson becomes coach of Malmö FF’s men’s team and stays in the role until after the 1989 season. Malmö FF wins Allsvenskan but loses in the semi-final of the playoff that determines the Swedish champion.

1986. The Malmö FF men’s team becomes Swedish champions after winning Allsvenskan and the subsequent playoffs that now determine who is crowned champion. They also win the Swedish Cup. Malmö FF’s former women’s team becomes Swedish champions for the first time by winning the playoffs.

1987. The Malmö FF men’s team wins Allsvenskan but loses in the final of the playoff. They also reach the quarter-finals of the Cup Winners’ Cup, where they lose against Ajax, who go on to win the tournament.

1988. The Malmö FF men’s team becomes Swedish champions after winning Allsvenskan and the playoff final. Damallsvenskan is established as the highest Swedish football league for women, with Malmö FF’s former women’s team participating from its inception.

1989. Malmö FF becomes the first professional football club in Sweden with full-time football players. The Malmö FF men’s team wins Allsvenskan for the fifth consecutive year, becoming the only team to achieve that feat, but loses in the final of the playoff. They also win the Swedish Cup.

Players with the Most Games for Malmö FF

Krister Kristersson

626 games

Roy Andersson

624 games

Erik Nilsson

600 games

Janne Möller

591 games

Jonnie Fedel

588 games

1990 – 1999

1990. Malmö FF’s former women’s team becomes Swedish champions after winning Damallsvenskan and the subsequent playoff. They also win the Swedish Cup.

1991. Malmö FF’s former women’s team becomes Swedish champions after winning Damallsvenskan and the subsequent playoff, and they also win the Nordic Women’s Championship.

1992. Malmö FF’s former women’s team wins the Nordic Women’s Championship.

1993. Malmö FF’s former women’s team becomes Swedish champions after winning Damallsvenskan and the subsequent playoff.

1994. Malmö FF’s former women’s team becomes Swedish champions after winning Damallsvenskan and the subsequent playoff, and they also win the Nordic Women’s Championship.

1997. Malmö FF’s former women’s team becomes champions of the Swedish Cup.

1999. Hans Cavalli-Björkman resigns as chairman and is succeeded by Bengt Madsen. After 64 consecutive years in Allsvenskan, the longest streak in Sweden, Malmö FF’s men’s team finishes second to last in Allsvenskan and is relegated to Superettan.

Lena Videkull was part of the team that won several Swedish championships with Malmö FF’s former women’s team

2000 – 2009

2000. The Malmö FF men’s team finishes in second place in Superettan and is promoted to Allsvenskan.

2004. Malmö FF becomes Swedish champions for the fifteenth time after winning Allsvenskan. Malmö FF’s former women’s team reaches the semi-finals of the UEFA Women’s Cup (now the Women’s Champions League), where they lose to 1.FFC Frankfurt.

2007. Malmö FF’s former women’s team leaves Malmö FF to play under the name LdB FC Malmö. Ahead of the 2014 season, they later change their name again to FC Rosengård.

2009. Malmö FF’s current stadium is inaugurated on April 13 with the first home game of the league season. With this, Malmö FF leaves Malmö Stadion after 50 years.

Malmö FF stadiums through the years

MALMÖ IDROTTSPLATS
(1910-1957)
Attendance record: 22 436 against Helsingborgs IF on June 1, 1956.

MALMÖ STADION
(1958-2008)
Attendance record: 29 328 against Helsingborgs IF on September 24, 1967.

ELEDA STADION
(2009-)
Attendance record: 24 148 against Mjällby AIF on November 7, 2010.

2010 – 2019

2010. Malmö FF celebrates its 100th anniversary. Bengt Madsen steps down as chairman and is succeeded by Håkan Jeppsson. Malmö FF becomes Swedish champions after winning Allsvenskan.

2011. Malmö FF qualifies for the Europa League group stage for the first time.

2013. Malmö FF becomes Swedish champions after winning Allsvenskan.

2014. Malmö FF becomes Swedish champions after winning Allsvenskan. The club qualifies for the Champions League group stage for the first time.

2015. Malmö FF qualifies for the Champions League group stage for the second consecutive year. The club becomes the sole owner of its stadium.

2016. Malmö FF becomes Swedish champions after winning Allsvenskan.

2017. Malmö FF becomes Swedish champions for the twentieth time. This 20th Swedish championship allows Malmö FF to add a second star above the club badge.

2018. Malmö FF qualifies for the Europa League group stage and reaches the last 16. At the end of the year, the club is struck by grief when chairman Håkan Jeppsson unexpectedly passes away. He is succeeded by Anders Pålsson.

2019. Malmö FF qualifies for the Europa League group stage, wins the group, and advances to the round of 16. In November, an extraordinary annual meeting decides to reinstate the women’s section at the club.

Markus Rosenberg led MFF to the Champions League group stage two years in a row.

2020 –

2020. The Malmö FF men’s team becomes Swedish champions after winning Allsvenskan. The Malmö FF women’s team wins Division 4 Southwest Skåne.

2021. The Malmö FF men’s team becomes Swedish champions after winning Allsvenskan. They also qualify for the group stage of the Champions League. The Malmö FF women’s team wins Division 3 Southwest Skåne.

2022. The Malmö FF men’s team becomes champions of the Swedish Cup for the fifteenth time and qualifies for the group stage of the Europa League. The Malmö FF women’s team wins Division 2 South Götaland.

2023. The Malmö FF men’s team becomes Swedish champions after winning Allsvenskan. The Malmö FF women’s team wins Division 1 South and the Skåne district championship.

2024 The Malmö FF men’s team becomes Swedish Champions for the 24th time and secure the Swedish Cup title for a 16th time. The Malmö FF women’s team wins Elitettan and promotion to OBOS Damallsvenskan.

Malmö FF’s Ten Biggest Attendance Numbers

Malmö FF – Helsingborgs IF
24 september, 1967
Attendance: 29 328
Malmö FF – Helsingborgs IF
13 may, 1993
Attendance: 28 716
Malmö FF – Helsingborgs IF
30 june, 2006
Attendance: 27 477
Malmö FF – IF Elfsborg
30 october, 2004
Attendance: 27 343
Malmö FF – IFK Malmö
24 august, 1960
Attendance: 27 201
Malmö FF – Djurgårdens IF
21 september, 2003
Attendance: 26 812
Malmö FF – Landskrona
1 september, 1977
Attendance: 26 643
Malmö FF – IFK Göteborg
10 april, 2005
Attendance: 26 504
Malmö FF – Helsingborgs IF
19 june, 2001
Attendance: 26 500
Malmö FF – IFK Göteborg
24 april, 2004
Attendance: 26 426