It has so far been a successful summer for the Allsvenskan teams Häcken, Elfsborg, Djurgården and Malmö. All four are ready for playoffs in European tournaments.
Performances that of course mean a bang in the coffers. And success can depend on various things.
Europa League
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Elfsborg further in the Europa League qualifiers after an eventful match
– There are many reasons. A very good job in the four clubs, partly in the sporting aspect, but also all around in building an environment that creates success in a competitive sport, says Svante Samuelsson, sports manager at Swedish elite soccer (Sef).
Works long-term
He believes that from a league perspective, they also try to influence the clubs to aim for a long-term direction.
– We work with our academy certification, the academies in general and player and coach training. We go on study trips in Europe in other interesting environments. We also have good discussions with our clubs and others about what is good to be able to learn from each other.
In addition, Sef urges the clubs to give playing time to young players and in that case have a squad with financial value. This, in turn, can enable sales on the international transfer market.
– That money can then be invested in the academies and training courses.
Want to climb the rankings
With the success so far in the European qualifying games, the Swedish top league has advanced in the Uefa (European Football Association) ranking. From 27th to 23rd place.
– It is good, but we are not satisfied. We should be higher. Uefa summarizes the rankings based on the last five seasons. We have been too bad at making several good seasons in a row. If we are at this level now, it bodes well.
– We should have an ambition to reach the top 15, I think.