From Leicester to Leverkusen, Mjällby join list of most unlikely league champions

There were unthinkable scenes successful the Swedish apical formation connected Monday arsenic Mjällby AIF, plucky upstarts and heroes of the Allsvenskan season, bushed heavyweights IFK Göteborg to clinch the astir improbable of league titles.

The captious 2-0 triumph sparked jubilant celebrations connected the pitch, arsenic the effect cementing an unassailable 11-point pb for Mjällby astatine the apical of the array with 3 fixtures of the run remaining. The squad who hail from the tiny sportfishing assemblage of Hällevik (population: 800) connected the Baltic Sea volition play successful the UEFA Champions League successful 2026-27.

Mjällby's communicative is made each the much unthinkable by the information that they person been guided to glory by Anders Torstensson, a schoolhouse principal-turned-head manager who had ne'er coached nonrecreational shot astatine elder level until 2023. Having astir been wiped retired of beingness whilst playing successful the Swedish 3rd tier successful 2016 owed to fiscal issues, the nine person besides operated connected a meagre fund which they person bolstered by nurturing younker endowment and moving them connected to bigger clubs astir Europe.

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Mjällby managed to find their feet and instrumentality to the Allsvenskan successful 2020, establishing themselves arsenic a midtable outfit. They finished 5th past season, 15 points down champions Malmö, but an outstanding tally of signifier and results done the 2025 run has seen them powerfulness to the archetypal top-tier grant successful the club's 86-year history.

Of course, Mjällby's underdog heroics person been compared to that of Leicester City, who besides upset the bookmakers to triumph the Premier League successful 2015-16.

And, with that successful mind, present are immoderate of the different astir improbable rubric wins ever witnessed successful European top-flight football.

Leicester City, 2015-16, Premier League

After finishing successful a humble 14th spot successful 2013-14, their archetypal play backmost successful the Premier League, the Foxes went from 5,000-1 fertile outsiders to champions of England. Claudio Ranieii's irrepressible side, fueled by the likes of Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez and N'Golo Kanté, saw disconnected each of the accustomed contenders to triumph the Premier League rubric by a 10-point borderline -- the aforesaid spread that they past managed to debar relegation to the Championship the pursuing year.

Hellas Verona, 1984-85, Serie A

Despite the Italian league being graced by the likes of Diego Maradona and Michel Platini, it was the unfancied Hellas Verona who played their mode to the Scudetto. The Gialloblu lost 2 games each play and arsenic Platini's Juventus, Maradona's Napoli,

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