Update

A few updates from the last week:

• My anger about Rikard Norling's departure from AIK is almost gone, left is solely disappointment.
  
  
• Mikael Stahre could maybe do well at AIK, but he still has a lot to prove before I will be praising him. I remember when Zlatan Ibrahimovic joined Inter in the summer of 2006. Check the blog archive for my thoughts at that point, and compare them to what I have to say today. Boy was I wrong...
  

• The exam was shorter than I thought it would be, and hopefully I passed.
  

• I am currently taking a break from a case analysis of Intel Corporation. The last week has been one of the most busy ones. Somehow I am toughened by the challenges and responsibilities I faced during my year in the student association.
  
  
• I attended a seminar on Friday which was scheduled between 10.00 to 18.00. We ended up leaving three hours earlier, but given a writing task about the current financial crisis. 4 ECTS credits of work is to be handed in just like that. I have never experienced a shorter course, being worth so many credits at the same.
  
  
• I must say that I (ironically) admire the Austrians innovation and sense of furnishing. I saw this brilliant idea at the seminar:

• Later on the same day (Friday) I attended a concert with my girlfriend and some of her friends. One of their pals plays in a band and they were performing in a small, cozy, underground place. I am not a fan of punk music, and especially not German/Austrian punk music, but this was good stuff. They were organized, loud and talented! Thank you for the entertainment.

• The lecturers keep bringing their dogs to campus and they are free to run around the place. It's hilarious to see the lecturer speaking in front of the class, waving and gesticulating with one hand and feeding the dog with the other one.
  

• I visited Sara in the middle of the week for some coffee. I decided to bring some bakery and i stopped by at the supermarket (the prices are more fair there). I found something that looked tasty and that had an almost delicious touch on its name - Mohnstrudel. Fuck, never try that shit. I took the first bite at Sara's and she was trying to judge the taste of the damn thing by looking at my face expression. She ended up laughing out loud at my disgusted expression.
  

I have to get back to my books now. Thank you for reading.

Thank you for everything Rikard

I am disgusted and outraged. I feel betrayed. I feel disappointed. I am pissed off. The board of AIK finally decided to fire headcoach Rikard Norling, after three seasons in the Swedish premier league.


I am so disappointed right now that it's hard for me to find words. He was contracted until the end of 2011, he was a part of the plan to create peace and calm at AIK. He was our 7th coach in ten years. That says everything. He is in my eyes one of Sweden's most talented and ambitious managers, and he did not deserve this kind of treatment. I know that he will find a new club soon, and when he does, I really hope that he gets to prove those who fired him that it was a huge mistake.



AIK's new manager is a hillbilly with no experience of the elite whatsoever. I just want him to fail, and I have never felt like this about my own favorite club before. I know that if he fails, things will go sour for the whole company, but I feel that the club is filled with inexperienced people with no feeling about football anyhow.


Unprofessional businesspeople who decide what is right and what is wrong on the pitch. Disgusting (once again). It is truly disgusting.
What will happen to the rest of the coaching staff? What will happen to the players that Rikard brought to AIK? I am seriously considering to boycott the games once I'm home from my exchange year down here. I know that a lot of fans are doing the same thing, not renewing their season tickets. And then the board members claim that they made this decision because they wanted to boost the turnover (which in turn is dependant on the sport related results). I have lost my faith in the current board and I feel run over. The board can forget about my individual support the coming seasons. It hurts and it breaks my heart, AIK is my team, my club. It feels good to know that I am not the only one feeling like this. Rikard was our man, our coach. He was a true gentleman who always spent time with fans, answering questions, taking photos, signing autographs. He loves the club, and he was forced away. If Mikael Stahre (the new hillbilly coach) makes AIK a balanced team that wins titles I will be very surprised. I will in fact shut up and never complain about him again, I will admit that I was wrong. But come on now, we all know that isn't going to happen. He will:

a) make us a mid table team filled with mediocre players from Sweden's lower divisions
b) get us relegated
c) not have the time to make an impact, after three losses in the first three games next season he will be fired anyhow.

The flipside with option c) is that if that happens, we will experience another crisis similar to the one in the beginning of the 2000's. Rikard was AIK's 7th coach in ten years! He was hired to create stability. The only problem is that those who hired him eventually backstabbed him.

The board is in my opinion filled with ignorant and snobby businesspeople from different corners of the Swedish industries. The fans made it quite clear a few weeks ago that they would not approve on a decision like this, and I thought the board was smart enough to realize that the fans (which form the club to what it is) are important and that it is vital to respect their interests. The boardmembers have no idea what they are doing. If they think that Mikael Stahre will ever manage to make this club no 1, they are mistaking. So, that brings me to my (and everyone else's) questions, WHY DID YOU FIRE RIKARD NORLING?


AVGÅ STYRELSEN!!!!!!!

Images from last night

Mattias Thylander (to the left) was once again back at Råsunda stadium, now playing in Trellebrog. I remember meeting him six years ago, when he was one of the most hated players in the AIK squad.
Bojan Djordjic
Bojan Djordjic
Bojan Djordjic
Celebrations after Iván's goal.
The goalscorer.


A hero returns to Stockholm, but unfortunately only for a short visit.
Derek Boateng of Beitar Jerusalem heading for the north stand.

When Derek said "This is my home", the fans went wild.
Derek is greeted by the fans.

Lee Baxter and Niclas Bergh

The starting lineup
Rikard Norling smiling again
A hero warms up.