The profile of Malmo and Klaksvik, PAOK’s potential opponents: Nowitzki’s brother-in-law and Gudjonsen’s son

With the PAOK will play the winner of Malmo-Klaksvik in the third qualifying round of the Champions League. In fact, in the inevitable scenario that PAOK is eliminated by Banja Luka, they will play in the third qualifying round of the Europa League against the… eliminated Malmo-Klaksvik. But let’s take a look at the profile of the two teams.

The Swedish Malme, based in the city of the same name, was founded in 1910, has blue and white colors and is home to the “Eleda Stadion”, 22,500 spectators. In 2023, it won the 23rd championship in its history and the first after two years, while also taking the Cup. In Europe it has even reached the Champions League final, losing 1-0 to Nottingham in the Munich final in 1979. This year, after 16 matches in the Swedish league, they are first with 38 points (the second Djurgården has 31 points in 15 matches) and a record of 12 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses.

The coach of the team is 48-year-old Hendrik Rydstrom. The standout player on their roster is 22-year-old Swedish midfielder Sebastian Nanassi. The team also includes the stopper Derek Corneliuswho had moved from Panaitolikos, but also the left back Martin Olson, who has moved from England and is… brother-in-law of Dirk Nowitzki (the German NBA legend is married to his sister). Among the notable players on the roster are the Norwegian forward Erik Bottheim, the Montenegrin winger Seand Haksabanovic, while the Malmo team also includes Eidur Gudjonsen’s 18-year-old son, Danielwho plays as a center forward.

In 2014, Malmö faced Olympiakos in the Champions League groups, with the Swedes winning 2-0 at home and losing 4-2 in “G. Karaiskakis”.

As for the underdog of the pair, Claxwick, the team from the Faroe Islands was founded in 1904, is based in the “Vio Djupumyrar” with a capacity of only 2,600 spectators and colors blue and white. He has won the championship 21 times, three times in a row, while in 2022 he also won the double. Last year it participated for the first time in its history in the groups of the Conference League, while this year in the first qualifying round it eliminated Differentanz from Luxembourg with 2-0 at home and 0-0 away.

The team’s coach is the Norwegian Haakov Lunov, while its best player is midfielder Jakub Andreasen, who is its captain and an international player. In the current league it is not doing very well, as after 16 games it is third and -9 behind the leader Vikingur, having 36 points with 12 wins and 4 losses.