Football
Mattias Karen, Arsenal correspondent 6y

Arsenal's Europa League opponents Ostersunds: Five key facts

Swedish club Ostersunds BK will face the biggest game in their history after being drawn against Arsenal in the Europa League's round of 32 on Monday.

Few football fans in Europe had even heard of the club before their first-ever European campaign this year, but here are five things to know about Ostersund:

Only existed since Wenger became manager

For Arsenal, it can be hard to remember life before Arsene Wenger became manager. For Ostersund, it's actually impossible. Ostersunds Fotbollsklubb was formed in October 1996 -- the same month Wenger officially took charge of Arsenal. It was a merger by several smaller clubs in the city, which only has a population of about 50,000. Since then, they've gone through 11 managers.

Rapid rise under Potter

Ostersund have undergone a remarkable transformation since Englishman Graham Potter took over as manager in 2010. At the time, they were playing in Sweden's fourth tier but earned back-to-back promotions in Potter's first two seasons in charge. In 2015, they were promoted to the country's top league, Allsvenskan, for the first time. Potter, 42, played for Birmingham, Stoke and West Brom during his career but had never held a coaching job outside universities before moving to Ostersund.

Swedish cup champions

Ostersund earned their Europa League spot by winning this year's Swedish Cup, beating Norrkoping 4-1 in the final. It was the first major trophy in the club's history. They finished fifth in the league this year, 14 points behind champions Malmo.

Impressive group campaign

Few expected Ostersund to even reach the group stages of the Europa League, as they faced Turkish giants Galatasaray in the opening qualifying round. But they won 3-1 on aggregate, then overcame a 3-1 first leg deficit against Greek side PAOK in the final round. In group play, they finished with three wins, two draws and just one loss.

Swansea connection

Ostersund have had a close connection to Premier League side Swansea since 2007, when the Welsh club held a summer training camp in the Swedish city and helped open the Jamtkraft Arena stadium. Club chairman Daniel Kindberg is also a friend of Graeme Jones, the long-time assistant to former Swansea manager Roberto Martinez, who recommended Potter for the coaching job in 2010. And in 2014, Swansea bought Ostersund forward Modou Barrow in a deal reportedly worth £1.5 million.

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