The ex-sandwich maker who cycles to Champions League games

What the report says

BBC Sport profiles Mjallby striker Jacob Bergstrom, a 31-year-old who once worked at Subway, was not in a youth academy and did not become a full-time professional until age 24. His rise has mirrored Mjallby’s own: the club from Hallevik, a small coastal village in southern Sweden, won its first Swedish league title and Swedish Cup in the past year and is now competing in Champions League qualifying.

Bergstrom told BBC Sport that his move to Mjallby in 2018, while the club were still in the third division, seemed significant at the time. He now lives in Hallevik with his family and still cycles to training and matches at Strandvallen, the club’s seaside ground. The article says he has become a popular figure with supporters, who see him as part of Mjallby’s local, underdog identity.

The forward also scored on his Champions League debut and is preparing for a third qualifying-round tie against Slovan Bratislava, whose new head coach is former Manchester City and Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure. BBC Sport describes the first European home match at Strandvallen as a major event for the village, with a strong community turnout and a celebratory atmosphere. The broader significance is that Mjallby have already secured at least a place in the Conference League, extending a remarkable run for a club that was close to the lower reaches of Swedish football less than a decade ago.