Malmö FF lost 0–1 to Red Star Belgrade in the first competitive match under new coach Miguel Angel Ramirez. The club fielded a young team, especially in midfield, and Pontus Jansson warned of the risks of prioritizing sales over wins. Before kickoff, the late coach Åge Hareide was honored with an emotional tribute.
Malmö FF's home match against Red Star Belgrade in the Europa League ended in a 0–1 loss on Thursday evening, January 22, 2026. It was Miguel Angel Ramirez's competitive debut as coach, and he opted for a young team with a midfield quartet of Theodor Lundbergh (17 years), Kenan Busuladzic (18), Adrian Skogmar (20), and Hugo Bolin (22), averaging 19.75 years old. The visitors took the lead in the 16th minute through 17-year-old Visilije Kostov, assisted by Marko Arnautovic. Despite late pressure from MFF, including a collision between Emmanuel Ekong and Red Star's goalkeeper Matheus that resulted in a yellow card for Ekong, the score held.
Pontus Jansson, 34, was critical after the match. 'It's a damn thin line to walk,' he said about playing young talents potentially to sell them on. 'In the end, we have to win football matches, or it will be chaos again.' He acknowledged Ramirez's focus on process and effort as good, but in a club like Malmö FF, it's not enough – the goal is to win the Swedish title. Jansson praised the young team's potential and recalled his own breakthrough with a low average age.
Before the match, former coach Åge Hareide, who died in December 2025 at age 72 after a brain cancer diagnosis the previous summer, was honored. A tifo painting and banner read, 'You gave us faith, you showed us the way. Rest in peace, Åge.' 'Very dignified and nice,' commented Jansson, crediting Hareide for laying the foundation for the club's successes, including league titles and Champions League group stage during his stints in 2014–2015 and 2022.
Goalkeeper Melker Ellborg started and described interest from Hamburger SV – which MFF rejected a 32 million SEK bid on, demanding 53 million – as 'of course flattering.' Ramirez confirmed Ellborg as first choice for the match and praised the competition among goalkeepers. Despite the loss, Taha Ali noted a positive compact defense in the first half but a need for better playing development. Over 17,000 spectators watched the match on a chilly January evening in Malmö. The next fixture is against Genk in a week.
