Johan Mjallby: One of Levante's fiascos in 2004

Last update 18 June, 2024 by Alberto Llopis

The signing of Johan Mjallby For Levante he should be in the manual of how you don't have to sign a player. In 2004, year back from the granota club to 1st division after more than 40 years, To the then plot of signings of the Levante UD it occurred to a veteran Swedish player, with a strong resume but a recent injury history that wasn't very promising.

The Levante returned to the First Division after years walking through the desert and tried to reinforce his rear with a level player. The thing went wrong. As had just happened 24 years before with another Johan, In this case Cruyff, This signing was not good for granotas interests.

Johan Mjällby The Vikingo who could not succeed in the Levante

This tall, burly middle-looking Viking, born on 9 February 1971, He came from Celtic Glasgow, with a more than successful career behind him. With a few titles won in Scotland and internationally with Sweden, with whom he had played the world of 2002 in Korea and Japan. I mean, A couple of years before signing for Levante.

Therefore, It was a proven professional who arrived at the Valencian team with very high expectations. In fact the few games he played, proved to be a good center for the elite. However, He had a serious problem that his history made.

It was none other than a chronic knee injury that made its story in Levante, It lasted less than a piece of ice in the desert. Y es que Johan Mjällby, He could only play the first three games of the League 2004/05, All of them as a starter and giving a good level, until he fell injured his knee. That as was evident, I was frankly battered when he signed for the granotas. Even so, The doctors of the time, had approved their signing.

Mjällby, Very professional and honest footballer

They spent the days and the Swede could not recover from his illness. He tried unsuccessfully to recover, until finally in a gesture that honored him, She decided to terminate his contract with Levante, forgiving the remaining money he had to receive his contract, being aware that I could not fulfill it and that it was not the club's fault. Then he retired from football to devote himself to being an assistant coach at Celtic and football related issues, In addition to doing at the time, Your steps as a model. The story of a bad signing for the conditions in which he was at that time but of an honest, Professional and great footballer.