Football Season Guide

AIK not only failed to defend their title in 2019, but due to lack of goals they finished outside the top 3. That said, the gap to the champions was just 4 points and the main reason for not doing better were the narrow away defeats vs. Hammarby and Malmo in the final few rounds. Disappointed with his strikers, coach Norling allowed both Obasi and Elyounoussi to leave the club in the winter, with the only other major departure that of main goalkeeper Linner. The latter was replaced by the ex-Stoke goalie Haugaard, while no new strikers were signed. Instead it seems that veteran and team captain Goitom will be supporting Kolbeinn Sigthorsson, who arrived halfway through last season. Sebastian Larsson remains key figure in the heart of the midfield, with AIK having good depth for pretty much every position on the pitch. This fact and the ability to rotate should give them serious advantage in what is expected to be hectic campaign seriously disrupted by the COVID-break. Main weakness seems to be the attack again, with both Goitom and Sigthorsson very similar type of target-men and both having long dry spells in 2019. Another concern in the long term might prove the goalkeeper’s position as the new number one Jakob Haugaard spent the last 3 years as third-choice option in the clubs he played for.