00:04While football had been played in Sweden since the late 19th century, it wasn't until the
00:10formation of the Arlsvenskan in 1924 that the country's leading teams were brought under a
00:16single National League format. Out of step with the major leagues of Western Europe,
00:24the Arlsvenskan season typically runs from April to November, with a schedule designed to avoid
00:31Sweden's harsh winter months. Beside the ends of the season on top of the Arlsvenskan are considered
00:41Swedish champions and gold medal winners. The runners-up are awarded the large silver medal.
00:48The third position team are awarded the small silver medal, and the team positioned in fourth
00:54place are awarded the bronze medal. Between 1982 and 1993, the league introduced a playoff
01:04to determine the champions, creating a statistical discrepancy between championship winners and
01:10Arlsvenskan title holders. For example, the competition's honours board is dominated by
01:19Malmö. Their 26 Arlsvenskan triumphs is double their nearest rival, but that translates to only 23 Swedish
01:28championships, just five more than IFK Jötterborg. Malmö and Jötterborg are the dominant forces of
01:37Swedish football, with IFK Norköping and Ike also establishing strong reputations.
01:47Ike, the largest side in the Swedish capital Stockholm, form half of the fiercest rivalry in Swedish football,
01:55alongside neighbours Jörgårdens. The fixture between the clubs
01:59Jörgårdens is known as Twilindarbet, or the twin derby.
02:07Curiously, the Ike-Jörgården rivalry also exists in domestic ice hockey.
02:17In recent decades, the Arlsvenskan has settled on its place in the pecking order of European leagues,
02:24becoming a nursery for young Swedish talent that can then move abroad. Zlatan began his career with
02:31Malmö, Alexander Isak at Ike, while Dejan Kuliszewski came through the IF Dromapokjana Youth Academy.
02:44But that hasn't always been the case. Malmö reached the final of the European Cup in 1979,
02:51before losing out 1-0 to Nottingham Forest in Munich.
02:59While during the 1980s and 90s, IFK Jötterborg were regular contenders in European club competitions,
03:06winning the UEFA Cup twice in 1982 and 1987.
03:15During this period, the home grounds of Jötterborg, Malmö and Eich were regular venues for major European fixtures.
03:26Players of note to dominate the Arlsvenskan include Sven Jonasson,
03:30who holds the goal-scoring record with 254 strikes and is one of only four men to make over 400
03:38league appearances.
03:41While the great Gunnar Nordahl is the only striker to top the scoring charts in more than three seasons,
03:48when he starred for IFK Norköping during the 1940s.
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