FOOTBALL: Assyriska FF Södertälje finds way back to the top, advances to Division 1
SÖDERTÄLJE, Sweden – Professional football club Assyriska FF has secured a place in Sweden’s football league Division 1 with a victory over football club Rynninge. The match ended in 7-0 and means advancement to the first Division for the Syriac team.
The advancement opens the way for Assyriska FF to return to the second national Swedish football league Superettan in which it played between 2008-2016, and to the top national football league Allsvenskan in which it played 1 season in 2005. Well-known (former) football players of Assyriska FF are Kennedy Bakircioglu (Ajax, Racing Santander; retired) and Mikael Ishak (FC Nürnberg, Lech Poznań).
Also located in Södertälje is professional Syriac football club Syrianska FC. Syrianska FC and Assyriska FF both use the stadium Södertälje Fotbollsarena for their home matches.
Syrianska FC played four seasons in Allsvenskan (2011-2013), Superettan (2009-10; 2014-2017; 2019), and now plays in Division 2.
Both Assyriska FF and Syrianska FC (1977) were established by Syriac immigrants to Sweden. Syrianska FC was formerly known as Suryoyo Sportklubb, but in 1986, changed its name to Syrianska SK. Syrianska FC produced (former) football players e.g. Sharbel Touma (retired, Ajax, Borrusia Mönchengladbach).
Mikael Ishak played 4 times for the Swedish national team. Yahkub Jimmy Durmaz who plays for Galatasaray in Turkey has 49 caps on his name in the Swedish national team and scored 3 times.