Hareide excited by Malmö assignment

Norwegian coach Åge Hareide has returned to Swedish football to take charge of champions Malmö FF.

Hareide has reportedly signed a one-year contract with the club who last season finished five points clear of AIK Solna at the top of the Allsvenskan. Aged 60, Hareide has won league titles in Norway, Sweden and Denmark with Rosenborg BK, Helsingborgs IF and Brøndby IF respectively. He also coached the senior Norway side between 2003 and 2008 and Malmö's then top-flight rivals Örgryte IS for six months in 2009.

"This will be the greatest challenge of my coaching career," Hareide told the Malmö website. "It feels fantastic to get to coach such a talented team as MFF, a club that also has such a fine tradition and history."

Hareide's enthusiasm for his young Malmö squad mirrors that of Sweden boss Erik Hamrén, who picked seven of their players to face Moldova and Iceland in two January friendlies.

Malmö celebrated their 17th league crown in October, wrapping up the championship with a game to spare, and added the domestic Super Cup less than a fortnight later when they defeated IFK Göteborg. That silverware was won under Rikard Norling, who left the helm in late November and has since been appointed by Norway's SK Brann.

As title holders, Malmö will enter the 2014/15 UEFA Champions League at the qualifying stage.