Two-time defending champions Malmö FF was again the team to beat as the 2015 Allsvenskan kicked off on April 4 when Hammarby and BK Häcken met at the Tele2 Arena. The problem for the rest of the league is no team can likely beat Malmö.
IFK Göteborg and AIK can make legitimate claims to being title contenders, but as Åge Hareide proved last season, Champions League money can make a difference. After losing seven starters, Malmö went out and put together a team that could probably compete in just about any European league as the Skåne club looks to not only cement its role as a Swedish football dynasty but as a Champions League staple club.
Seven managers changed teams, with the most intriguing move coming at Helsingborg, which hired Henrik Larsson, who spent two years at Falkenberg. One of Larsson’s first moves was to promote his son, Jordan, to the senior team.
Hammarby returns to the Allsvenskan after a five-year hiatus, once more giving Stockholm three teams in the top flight. Häcken will move to its own stadium, the newly built Bravida Arena in July, and when it does, it will mark the first time in the 91-year history of the Allsvenskan that more teams will play on artificial turf than on real grass.
The battle for spots in the UEFA Europa League should also be tight at Göteborg, AIK, Häcken, Elfsborg and Djurgården all have eyes on a top-four finish.
Here is how each team prepared for the 2015 season:

AIK
Manager: Andreas Alm (3rd year)
2014 Finish: 15-7-8 (3rd Place)
Players In: Fredrik Brustad, Stabaek, Johan Blomberg, Halmstad, Haukur Hauksson, KR Reykjavik, Alessandro Pereira, AFC Solna (loan), Dickson Etuhu, Blackburn, Christos Gravius, Youth team, Mohamed Bangura, Istanbul, Patrick Kpozo, Allies.
Players out: Alexander Milosevic, Besiktas, Celso Borges, La Coruna, Teteh Bangura, Bursaspor, Ibrahim Moro, Kairat, Kwame Karikari, Halmstad, Nicklas Maripuu, Sirius, Lalawele Atakora, Helsingborg, Martin Lorentzson, Åtvidaberg, Kennedy Igboananike, Chicago Fire, Edward Owusu, Akropolis.

BK Häcken
Manager: Peter Gerhardsson (6th year)
2014 Finish: 13-7-10 (5th place)
Players in: Diego Lugano, free agent, Alexander Nadj, Öster, Jasmin Sudic, Mjällby, Joakim Olausson, Atalanta, Mohammed Abubakari, Åtvidaberg, Tom Söderberg, Elfsborg, Dardan Rexhepi, Brommapojkarna, Gustaf Berggren, Youth team, Joel Andersson, Youth team, Adam Andersson, Youth team.
Players out: Fredrik Björck, Örgryte, Augustine Okrah, Al Merreikh, Carlos Strandberg, CSKA Moscow, Oscar Lewicki, Malmö FF, Richard Donkor, Right To Dream, Björn Anklev, Örgryte.
Outlook: Häcken is one of those teams that on any given day can look like a champion and on the next, a chump. BKH has found a way to spot talented young African strikers it can groom, and this season looks no different with the addition of Mohammed Abubakari, a Congolese striker BKH grabbed from Åtvidaberg. Gerhardsson, in his six years at Häcken, has turned what was once a patsy into a perrenial power, one that could contend for a spot in Europé.

Djurgården
Manager: Per Olsson (1st year)
2014 Finish: 11-10-9 (7th place)
Players in: Yoon Soo-Yong, Nike Academy, Omar Colley, Koupio, Tim Björkström, Brommapojkarna, Kevin Walker, Gif Sundsvall, Daniel Berntsen, Rosenborg (on loan from Bodö/Glimt), Sam Johnson, Frej, Elliot Käck, Sirius, Jesper Karlström, Brommapojkarna, Nyasha Mushekwi, Mamelodu Sundowns.
Players out: Andreas Johansson, retired, Erton Fejzullahu, Beijing Guoan, Mattias Östberg, retired, Mark Mayambela, Released, Xolani Mdaki, Mamelodi Sundows, loan return, Simon Tibbling, Groningen, Philip Hellquist, Wiener Neustadt, Christian Rubio Sivodedov, Schalke, Philip Sparrdal Mantilla, Mariehamn.
Outlook: The revolving door at Djurgården just keeps spinning. Since it last won the title in 2002, DIF has had 16 managers and used more than 400 players. This year appears no different as Djurgården again bought a new team and hired a new manager. In Per Olsson, however, DIF might have found a good fit. Olsson earned a reputation at Gefle for putting together competitive, tight-knit teams on a low budget. DIF certainly has more money than Gefle so it should be interesting to see what Olsson can do.

Falkenbergs FF
Manager: Hans Eklund (1st Year)
2014 Finish: 9-6-15 (13th place)
Players in: Tibor Joza, Häcken, Kamal Mustafa, Halmia.
Players out: Anton Wede, Helsingborg, Carl-Oscar Andersson, Released, Andrés Thorleifsson, Riala, Felix Johansson, Released, Arben Ajdarevic, Tvååker, Junaid Sait, Released, Matteo Blomqvist Zampi, Released, Halldor Björnsson, Released, Johan Marting, Released, Patrik Ingelsten, Gais.
Outlook: After barely staving off relegation last season, Falkenberg looks poised to give its fans a new case of stomach ulcers. The club did very little to improve over the off season ad lost manager Henrik Larsson to Helsingborg. It did hire Hans Eklund, whom Kalmar fired, to manage the team, but with only so-so talent and no real resources, Falkenberg will be a fixture at the bottom of the table

Gefle
Manager: Roger Sandberg (1st year)
2014 Finish: 8-8-14 (14th place)
Players in: Martin Rauschenberg, Stjarnan Gardabaer, Jacob Eriksson, Örgryte, Illir Berisha, free agent.
Players out: Olof Mård, Sandviken, Simon Lundevall, Elfsborg, Sive Pekezela, Released, Skuli Fridgeirsson, Released, Marcus Hansson, Tromsö, Zakaria Abdullai, Husqvarna.
Outlook: Former player Roger Sandberg steps into the managerial hotseat this season, taking over a Gefle side that underperformed badly in 2014. Never a top-four contender, Gefle had a few seasons where it at least finished in the top half of the standings. Those days appear to be gone and Gefle will again struggle to avoid relegration

Gif Sundsvall
Manager: Roger Franzén och Joel Cedergren (3rd year)
2014 Finish: 2nd in Superettan
Players in: Lars Gerson, IFK Norrköping, Smajl Suljevic, Dalkurd, Lloyd Saxton, Ånge, Peter Wilson, ungdomsakademin.
Players out: Kevin Walker, Djurgården, Johan Lundgren, Gais, Philip Olofsson, Boden.
Outlook: Sundsvall returns to the Allsvenskan, and like many newly promoted teams it will likely surprise a few opponents and jump out to a relatively strong start. It doesn’t have the talent or depth, however, to sustain any sort of quick start. Sundsvall certainly has more talent than some of the other bottom clubs but not enough to crack into the top half of the table.

Halmstad
Manager: Jan Jönsson (1st year)
2014 Finish: 11-6-13 (10th place)
Players in: Christoffer Andersson, Helsingborg, Junes Barny, Ängelholm, Mohammed Ali Khan, Tianjin Teda, Kwame Karikari, AIK, Snorre Krogsgård, Odds BK.
Players out: Oliver Silverholt, Hammarby, Johan Blomberg, AIK, Gudjon Baldvinsson, Nordsjälland, Mikael Boman, IFK Göteborg, Marcus Antonsson, Kalmar FF, Kristinn Steindorsson, Colombus Crew, Richard Magyar, FC Aarau, Kristoffer Thydell, Piteå.
Outlook: After two seasons as an also-ran, Halmstad is looking to regain its glory days of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Former Swedish international Jan Jonsson joined the club as the new manager from Norwegian side Alesund. Jonsson has just the type of experience needed at Orjans vall and with the addition of some legitimate talent that should stick around for more than half a season, Halmstad ought to make some noise this season. It likely won’t finish in the top four, but a top-seven finish is certainly attainable.

Hammarby
Manager: Nanne Bergstrand (2nd year)
2014 Finish: Won Superettan
Players in: Oliver Silverholt, Halmstad, Philip Haglund, IFK Göteborg, Birkir Sävarsson, Brann, Måns Söderqvist, Kalmar FF.
Players out: Andreas Haddad, Released, Nicklas Lindqvist, Released, Daniel Theorin, Released, Sebastian Ludzik, Released, Michael Timisela, Released.
Outlook: Hammarby is one those of teams that could be really, really good, or it could completely flop, with no room in the middle. Former Kalmar manager Nanne Bergstrand led the Bajen to the top of the Superettan last season and now the “Alex Ferguson” of Swedish football is looking to bring Hammarby back to the top of the Allsvenskan. The foundation is certainly there, and the additions of Haglund, Söderqvist, and Sävarsson give the team a strong offensive unit. Defensively, the team side remains suspect. Hammarby is still a year, maybe two, away from being a true title contender but can still fight for a top-four spot.

Helsingborgs IF
Manager: Henrik Larsson (1st year)
2014 Finish: 10-9-11 (9th place)
Players in: Astrit Ajdarevic, Standard Liège (loan), Anton Wede, Falkenberg, Matthew Pyzdrowski, Ängelholm, Lalawele Atakora, AIK, Mohamed Ramadan, IFK Malmö, Fredrik Helstrup, AC Horsens.
Players out: Christoffer Andersson, Halmstad, Alvaro Santos, retired, Felix Olsson Lundgren, Malmö FF, David Accam, Chicago, Arnor Smarason, Torpedo Moscow.
Outlook: Henrik Larsson takes the helm of a Helsingborg side in the midst of the youth rebuild. HIF has shed most of the 30-somethings on the team and replaced them with young and eager, though not as experienced players. How Larsson handles his young charges will determine whether Helsingborg can in fact challenge for a spot in Europe. Astrit Ajdarevic is one of the most talented players to emerge from Sweden in the past five years but he has had a rough time of it in Belgium. If Larsson can get Ajdarevic to play to form, HIF will have a gem on its hands.

Elfsborg
Manager: Magnus Haglund (1st year)
2014 Finish: 15-7—8 (4th place)
Players in: Simon Lundevall, Gefle, Viktor Götesson, Mjällby, Emir Bajrami, Panathinaikos, Jesper Manns, Jönköping Södra.
Players out: Johan Larsson, Bröndby.
Outlook: Elfsborg starts the season with the oldest team in the league. Eight of 11 starters are over 30 and while the club has gobs of experience and certainly knows to win, the wobbly legs of 38-year-old Anders Svensson, 33-year-old Lasse Nilsson, and 31-year-old Jon Jonsson may not last the season. The return of Magnus Haglund, who led Elfsborg to the 2009 title, may be enough to inspire the older players to one more season of glory but don't count on Elfsborg improving on last year’s fourth-place finish.

IFK Göteborg
Manager: Jörgen Lennartsson (1st year)
2014 Finish: 15-11-4 (2nd place)
Players in: Sebastian Eriksson, Cagliari, Mikael Boman, Halmstad, Tom Pettersson, Åtvidaberg, Haitam Aleesami, Fredrikstad, Kasim Prosper, International Allies, Sabah Lawson, International Allies, Heath Pearce, Montreal, Jakob Ankersen, Esbjerg, Thomas Mikkelsen, Odense, Thomas Rogne, Wigan.
Players out: May Mahlangu, Konyaspor, Kjetil Waehler,Vålerengen, Ludwig Augustinsson, FC Köpenhamn, Diego Calvo, Released, Jakob Johansson, AEK Aten, Hampus Zackrisson, Degerfors, Kenneth Zohore, Odense, Philip Haglund, Hammarby, Nordin Gerzic, Örebro, Malick Mané, Hönefoss.
Outlook: After selling off half the team that finished second last year, Göteborg built a side with even more talent. Problem is, so did Malmo. Mikael Stahre never proved able to provide the championship spark at Gamla Ullevi, and the addition of Lennartsson, who flopped somewhat at Elfsborg, may not be the answer the club thinks he is. Still, IFK simply has way too much talent not to finish at least second and should nip at Malmo’s heels all season and if Malmo slips up.…

IFK Norrköping
Manager: Jan Andersson (4th year)
2014 Finish: 9-9-12 (12th place)
Players in: Daniel Sjölund, Åtvidaberg, Nicklas Bärkroth, Brommapojkarna, Joel Enarsson, Mjällby, Filip Dagerstål, Youth team.
Players out: James Frempong, Released, Lars Gerson, Gif Sundsvall.
Outlook: Norrköping hit hard times last year and did very little to improve. The merry band of Allsvenskan cast-offs never seemed that interested in the season last year and Jan Andersson must find a way to re-invigorate his players or relegation will follow. The club’s off-season moves were less than inspirational and fans of Peking better get ready for another battle to avoid the Superettan.

Kalmar FF
Manager: Peter Swärdh (1st year)
2014 Finish: 10-9-11 (11th place)
Players in: Viktor Agardius, Mjällby, Muktar Ahmed, Karlskrona, Marcus Antonsson, Halmstad, Rasmus Elm, CSKA Moscow, Viktor Elm, Heerenveen.
Players out: Daniel Mendes, Minnesota, Måns Söderqvist, Hammarby.
Outlook: Kalmar was the biggest flop of the 2014 season and to get back to the top of the league, the club reunited three players that were instrumental in the 2008 championship — David, Rasmus and Victor Elm. Gone are the days when Kalmar depended on Brazilian talent and this year’s squad features just two South Americans. This is a team full of ifs. If the Elm brothers are healthy, if Peter Swardh, who has no real championship pedigree, can manage to restore some confidence at Guldfageln Arena and if the players that underperformed last season can turn it around, Kalmar could battle for a spot in Europe. If not, 11th place might be a gift.

Malmö FF
Manager: Åge Hareide (2nd year)
2014 Finish: 18-8-4 (1st Place)
Players in: Oscar Lewicki, Häcken, Erik Andersson, Landskrona Bois, Felix Olsson Lundgren, Helsingborg, Tobias Sana, Ajax, Jo Inge Berget, Cardiff, Magnus Wolff Eikrem, Cardiff, Yoshimar Yotun, Sporting Cristal, Andreas Vindheim, Brann, Rasmus Bengtsson, Twente.
Players out: Matias Concha, retired, Petter Thelin, Limhamn Bunkeflo, Ricardinho, FK Qabala, Simon Thern, Heerenveen, Magnus Eriksson, Guizhou Renhe, Emil Forsberg, Leipzig, Markus Halsti, DC United, Amin Nazari, Fredrikstad (loan), Johan Hammar, Fredrikstad (loan).
Outlook: Three-peat. Simply put, Malmo is doing what Norwegian side Rosenborg did or nearly 15 years — funding its domestic success with money from the Champions League while building a team that can compete in Europe, meaning no one domestically can really touch them. Could Malmo go undefeated this season? It is a real possibility. One thing is certain, there is a new dynasty in Swedish football and it calls the Swedbank Arena home.

Åtvidabergs FF
Manager: Roar Hansen (1st year)
2014 Finish: 12-7-11 (8th place)
Players in: Ammar Ahmed, Östersund, Mauricio Albornoz, Brommapojkarna, Mario Jelavic, Atletico Madrid, Martin Lorentzson, AIK, Ruben Lameiras, Tottenham.
Players out: Daniel Sjölund, IFK Norrköping, Tom Pettersson, IFK Göteborg, Imad Zatara, Released, Olle Karlsson, Released, Allan Olesen, Fremad Amager, Mohammed Abubakari, Häcken, Ricardo Santos, Guizhou Renhe, Emmanuel Boakye, Released.
Outlook: After a decent season in 2014, AFF seems determined to somehow crawl toward the top four. Roar Hansen, after a dismal stint at Helsingborg, gets a new shot at leading a team to Europe while the additions of Mario Jelavic and Ruben Lameiras give the team big-league experience. Solid, technically sound but not particularly gifted, Atvidaberg will still be a middle-of-the-table team.

Örebro SK
Manager: Alexander Axén (2nd year)
2014 Finish: 13-7-10 (6th place)
Players in: Nordin Gerzic, IFK Göteborg, Logi Valgardsson, Sogndal, Sebastian Ring, Youth team.
Players out: Ilir Berisha, Released, Magnus Wikström, slutar, Mohammed Saeid, Columbus Crew, William Atashkadeh, Örgryte, Boris Lumbana, Degerfors.
Outlook: Orebro was the surprise team of 2014, rumbling to a sixth-place finish. It won’t surprise anyone this year and the teams that finished behind — Kalmar, Helsingborg and Djurgarden — have loaded too much talent for Orebro to again challenge for the top four.