The prior campaign's unexpected league win drew worldwide coverage, chiefly due to Mjallby's far-flung setting. The side calls Hallevik home, a seaside hamlet in southern Sweden that counts under 1,000 inhabitants.

As the top club in Blekinge County, Mjallby draws support from the wider area and posted average attendances of 5,000 during the title season.

Players like Bergstrom are also drawn in. He grew up roughly an hour north in the county seat of Karlskrona, a port city where handball and ice hockey hold greater sway.

After returning to Mjallby from a short stint with Djurgarden in 2023, Bergstrom and his wife settled in Hallevik with their two children.

While Hallevik remains a quiet fishing spot in winter, summer visitors swell the population fourfold.

Bergstrom enjoys cycling to matches and sessions at Strandvallen, the club's ground located just 100 metres from the Baltic, tucked between woodland, a campsite and an open-air pool.

"You have the ocean and the people," Bergstrom notes. "It is so scenic by the water and the shore.

"Winter brings fewer visitors, so the spot does not suit everyone, yet it suits us."

Supporters now view Bergstrom as one of their own. The 6ft 3in striker has come to represent the underdog spirit of the area's rural communities.

He once celebrated before Malmo supporters and stayed calm when beer was thrown his way, later remarking that "it tasted very good."

Following the win over the club's urban rivals last season, he took a megaphone and led fans in the chant "whoever does not jump is a Malmo pig."

Despite the rise from obscurity for both player and club, Bergstrom stays grounded.

He still cycles to games, and locals may spot him at the nearby supermarket, just as BBC Sport did the day after last month's qualifier at Strandvallen.

A festive mood surrounded Mjallby's first European match versus Lincoln Red Imps of Gibraltar. A jazz band greeted 3,500 supporters while another 2,300 brought deckchairs and coolers to the marina for a big-screen viewing.

"[Playing in Europe] is special for the whole village and for everyone here at the club," Bergstrom says.

"Every time I ride my bike to the game, I see supporters in yellow and black. Flags fly in gardens everywhere. It is great to watch the community unite.

"They are so proud to share in the journey we have taken together."

Hallevik is now the second-smallest village to host a Champions League game, after Streymnes in the Faroe Islands (population 321).

Ahead of the 3-0 victory over the Red Imps, Mjallby fans unveiled a tifo showing a ship and a map of Europe, plus a banner stating: "A new chapter in the history books - written by all who dared to dream and those who refused to give up."

Bergstrom called the display remarkable, while captain Jesper Gustavsson felt goosebumps. Gustavsson is among those who refused to give up.

The 31-year-old is the final remaining member of the Mjallby squad that staved off a drop to the fourth tier - and likely financial ruin - on the last day of the 2016 season.

"Back then, some teammates and I wondered if we should quit after that year," he recalls.

"It was difficult, but we carried on and now I am living my dream with Mjallby."

Gustavsson grew up 20 minutes north of Hallevik. He attended Mjallby matches with his father before debuting at age 18.

The compact midfielder now captains a close group featuring many local players that continues to exceed expectations.

"It means everything because I have been here my whole life," he says. "Mjallby believed in me, so I am forever thankful."