Facts: Swedish football players in Russia
+ Besard Sabovic, 24, midfielder, Chimki. Contract until 30 June 2023. According to Danish BT Sabovic has broken the contract and is close to moving to Aarhus.
… and they have paused their contracts since the Russian invasion of Ukraine:
+ Jordan Larsson, 24, striker, Spartak Moscow. Contract until 30 June 2023. Lent to AIK until 30 June.
+ Sead Haksabanovic, 23, midfielder, Rubin Kazan. Contract until 30 June 2026. Lent to Djurgården until 30 June.
+ Filip Dagerstål, 25, defender, Chimki. Contract until 30 January 2024. Lent to IFK Norrköping until 30 June.
+ Armin Gigovic, 20, midfielder, Rostov. Contract until 30 June 2025. Lent to Helsingborgs IF until 30 June.
+ Dennis Hadzikadunic, 23, defender, Rostov. Contract until 30 June 2023. Lent to Malmö FF for the rest of the year.
+ Pontus Almqvist, 22, striker, Rostov. Contract until 30 June 2025. Lent to Utrecht in the Netherlands until 30 June.
… and they have already left:
+ Viktor Claesson, 30, midfielder (left Krasnodar prematurely, now in FC Copenhagen where the contract is valid over the current season).
+ Axel Björnström, 26, defender (broke earlier this year with Arsenal Tula, now in AIK where the contract extends until 31 December 2024).
Because it is to Djurgården that the 23-year-old winger is loaned to. Haksabanovic joined in mid-March after the International Football Association (FIFA) ensured that foreign players in the Russian league were given the opportunity to pause their contracts until June 30, due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
On Saturday, Rubin Kazan fell 1-2 at home against Ufa in the final round of the league, which meant relegation for Kazan.
– I am aware that they went out of the league yesterday, they missed a penalty right at the end. But I have not talked to Sead about it at all, says Djurgården’s sports director Bosse Andersson to TT.
– We are here on other terms really, he as a foreigner has been given permission to play football temporarily with us until 30 June. We get to follow the development, regardless of which division Rubin Kazan is in.
“The decision is in other hands”
Andersson continues:
– The decision is in other hands, regardless of whether Sead and Djurgården think it is pleasant and that we are happy together, it is not us who decides it. It is Fifa and Uefa, how they should handle it, what future sanctions look like.
With the current contract, Haksabanovic has two matches left with Djurgården. Today’s away match against Kalmar FF and the home meeting with Varberg next weekend.
AIK’s Jordan Larsson, on loan from Spartak Moscow, made his last home match for the club on Saturday. For Larsson’s part, another match awaits with AIK next weekend – after that it is unclear what will happen to him as well.
Several in the same situation
– You have to take it as it comes. According to my contract (with Spartak Moscow), I will be back in Russia on the first of July. If they want to do something different or if Fifa does something similar to what they did this spring, we will see and decide later, Larsson said to Aftonbladet after the 2-2 match against Sirius.
He also added:
– It is difficult with the contract, but I do not want to go back if the war continues.
Filip Dagerstål also left Russia and Chimki to join IFK Norrköping this spring. Recently, the midfielder said the following Norrköpings Tidningar to the question of whether he can see himself returning:
– I know how I felt when I was there and wanted to go. Then it’s more complex than that. I have an agreement. Then you are quite bound by the agreement. Depending on what happens, it’s really starting to get closer, so it could be that I go back and play there. I have a contract.