2 March 1980 - A Win Of Olympic Proportions

On 2 March 1980, Paraguayan side Olimpia won the Intercontinental Cup over Malmö with an aggregate score of 3-1 over two legs.

The Swedes weren't originally supposed to be there, as the competition was designed to pit the Copa Libertadores champions against the European Cup holders. But when Nottingham Forest, winners of the 1979 European Cup, declined to participate, Malmö were called in as runners-up.

In the first leg, played in Sweden on 18 November, Olimpia escaped with narrow win, beating the hosts 0-1 with a goal from forward Evaristo Isasi in the 41st minute. Then, in Asunción for the second leg, defender Alicio Solalinde (pictured) scored in the 39th minute to extend their aggregate lead to 2-0. Malmö midfielder Ingemar Erlandsson pulled one back shortly after the break, but it was the only time they got the ball past goalkeeper Hugo Almeida. Olimpia added another of their own for good measure to set the final margin at 3-1.

It was the last two-legged version of the Intercontinental Cup as the competition switched to a single-match format later that year. Olimpia returned in 1990 and again in 2002, but lost to AC Milan and Real Madrid, respectively.

24 February 1910 - Sweden's Once And Current Kings

On 24 February 1910, a group of nineteen footballers founded Malmö FF. They have since become Sweden's most decorated club, with a silverware cabinet that includes a record 19 Swedish top flight titles.

It took the club 34 years to win their first title, but it kick-started one of their most successful periods. For the next nine seasons, they finished in the league's top three, winning four more titles and five Swedish Cups. The '60s were relatively quiet, with only two league titles and one Swedish Cup, but they roared back to life in the '70s, winning the league in 1970, 1971, 1974, 1975, and 1977 (as well as the Swedish Cup in 1976 and 1978). They also rose to international prominence, advancing to the 1979 European Cup Final (where they lost 1-0 to Nottingham Forest).

Over the years, Malmö have produced several outstanding players, including their appearance leader Krister Kristensson (626 matches between 1963 and 1979), their all-time leading goalscorer Hans Håkansson (341 between 1927 and 1938), two-time Swedish player of the year Bo Larsson (1965, 1973), and current Swedish national team captain Zlatan Ibrahimović, who began his professional career at Malmö from 1999 to 2001.

Their star dimmed in the 1990s, including relegation in 1999. But they have since returned to their former glory, winning their most recent title in 2010.

30 May 1979 - The Ultimate Cinderella Story

On 30 May 1979, Nottingham Forest won their first European trophy, beating Malmö FF in the European Cup Final before a crowd of 57,000 at the Olympiastadion in Munich. It was an incredible accomplishment for Forest, who became only the third English side - after Manchester United and Liverpool - to claim Europe's biggest prize.

Forest were riding a wave of success under manager Brian Clough, who had taken Derby County to the European Cup semifinals six years earlier. After leaving Derby and suffering through a brief spell at Leeds, Clough moved to Forest in January 1975. Though they were in the Second Division at the time, Clough steered them to promotion in 1977, then to the League title in 1978.

In the European Cup, Forest advanced with wins over Liverpool, AEK Athens, Grasshopper, and Köln. Malmö, who were also playing in their first European Cup Final, reached it by beating Monaco, Dynamo Kiev, Wisła Kraków, and Austria Vienna.

Despite the participation of two relative Cinderella teams, the match itself was anticlimactic. Malmö, dealing with the loss of key players to injury, played a defensive game to slow the English attack. But Forest secured the match's only goal near the end of the first half, as their £1 million signing Trevor Francis - making his first European appearance for Forest - scored a 45th-minute header (pictured) that turned out to be the matchwinner.

Forest successfully defended their title the next season, beating Hamburg 1-0.

9 February 1979 - Meet The Million-Pound Man

On 9 February 1979, Nottingham Forest manager Brian Clough introduced the press to his newest signing, English striker Trevor Francis--the first player in England to break the £1 million barrier. Clough added to the spectacle by showing up at the press conference in a bright red leather jacket with his squash racket in hand.

When Clough signed Francis from Birmingham City, he was careful to set the transfer fee at £999,999 in order to prevent the "million pound" mark from going to the striker's head. But taxes pushed the total fee over £1.1 million, more than doubling the previous record of £495,000, paid by Manchester United to Middlesbrough for defender Gordon McQueen in February 1978.

With Francis in the side, Forest lost only one league match for the remainder of the season, finishing second in the Division One table, and won the League Cup. The crown jewel in their season, however, was their 1-0 win over over Swedish side Malmö in the 1979 European Cup Final, with Francis heading in the winning goal.

That proved to be the highlight of Francis' career. Injuries hampered his time at Forest, preventing him from playing in their win in the 1980 European Cup Final, and he moved to Manchester City in 1981 for £1.2 million.

3 October 1981 - The Sweet-Finishing Swede

On 3 October 1981, Swedish international Zlatan Ibrahimović was born in Malmö. The striker, who currently plays for Barcelona, is now one of the highest-paid footballers in the world.

Ibrahimović started his professional career in 1999 with his hometown club, Malmö FF, but transferred to Ajax in 2001. He helped Ajax win the Eredivisie title in his first season. He also made his first appearance for the Swedish national team senior side in 2001.

In 2004, he moved to Juventus and made an immediate impact, scoring 16 goals his first season. Juve won the Serie A title in Ibrahimović's two seasons there, but were forced to relenquish those Scudettos after being found guilty of match-fixing. As an additional punishment, Juve were relegated to Serie B for the 2006-07 season. As a result, Ibrahimović left Juventus and signed with rivals Inter.

Again, Ibrahimović proved to be an instant success, becoming Inter's top scorer his first season with 15 goals and helping the Milanese club to three consecutive Scudettos. Despite his success, however, he has been the subject of frequent criticism for failing to make an impact in critical matches, including matches in the UEFA Champions League.

In 2009, Ibrahimović moived again, this time to reigning La Liga and Champions League holders Barcelona. The transfer was widely publicized, with Inter receiving forward Barça forward Samuel Eto'o (valued at €20 million) and €46 million for the striker. He currently earns €9.5 million per year with the Catalan club.

[2011 Update: In 2010, Ibrahimović moved from Barcelona to AC Milan and is currently in his second season there.]

23 August 2005 - The Little Mouse That Roared (Into The Champions League)

On 23 August 2005, Swiss side FC Thun beat Malmö 3-0 at Thun's Stadion Lachen. The match was the second leg of the third qualifying round for the 2005-06 UEFA Champions League.

Thun had won the first leg in Sweden on 10 August, 0-1, and needed only a draw to advance. Rather than sit back and defend, however, Thun attacked the Swedish side and claimed an early lead with a 25th-minute goal from Brazilian center back Tiago Bernardi (pictured). Forward Mauro Lustrinelli, a Swiss international, added a brace (40', 65') to complete the rout and put Thun into the group stages.

Thun's qualification was particularly impressive given the club's small stature. They had only recently been promoted to the Swiss top flight in 2002 and, at the time of their qualification, had an annual budget of only €2 million. They were thus the smallest club ever to qualify for the Champions League.

Unfortunately, their success ended in the group stages. Drawn against Arsenal, Ajax, and Sparta Prague, Thun managed one win, one draw, and four losses, to finish third in the group. That finish sent them out of the Champions League, but into the Round of 32 for the 2005-06 UEFA Cup where they lost to Hamburg 1-2 on aggregate.

In 2008, Thun were relegated to Switzerland's second tier, the Swiss Challenge League, where they currently compete.