PHOTO: Bildbyrån
The Swedish men’s national team is in a crisis right now and worse than in many years.
At the same time, a lot is happening within the Swedish Football Association, SvFF.
Now the TV4 profiler Olof Lundh gives his honest view on everything that happens in Swedish football.
A lot has happened in Swedish football in the last year. Fredrik Reinfeldt has taken over as chairman of SvFF and the new general secretary is Andrea Mollerbergtogether they will change the future of the Swedish national teams.
Sweden in crisis
For the men’s national team, it has been a dark year, when Blågult missed the EC 2024 and that led to the confederation captain Jan Andersson had to leave his job. The new national team captain is Dane Jon Dahl Tomasson and over his head has the former national team player Kim Kallstrom took over as new football manager.
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The big changes with so many new people in important positions have aroused strong feelings around football Sweden.
“For 20 years I have covered the football association. Never have I felt such boiling and angry dissatisfaction,” writes the TV4 journalist Olof Lundh in a column on Fotbollskanalen.
“Everything from districts that are disappointed with Reinfeldt and where you will run your own conference this autumn, which is extremely unusual, to dissatisfied employees at the federal chancellery in Solna. Where you feel that Andrea Möllerberg and Kim Källström are blowing according to George W Bush’s classic motto: ‘Either you are with us or you are against us’. Which does not always provide a pleasant climate”.
Lundh’s words
Above all, there is a clear criticism of Reinfeldt and how he controls SvFF as Sweden’s top manager for the country’s football operations. He has been strongly questioned and before the annual meeting in March 2025 there is growing uncertainty that he may be elected.
“The image you get of Reinfeldt’s leadership is that he is unavailable and far too rarely out in the movement. He is extremely well-read but quite cold and dismissive. He has not convinced many since he was elected in March 2023, but several who were positive about him at the time have swung. It is noticeable when you call around and listen to Swedish football that the ground is shaking under him,” writes Lundh.
“Of course it also sticks in the eye when some employees are bought out for millions, and it is said that there was a close labor law conflict in at least one case. Some have been badly affected by seeing close and valued colleagues being treated roughly. At the same time, a fear creeps in about what one can and cannot say. Who does the management follow? And how do you do that?”.
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SvFF is also in financial trouble due to the men’s national team missing two straight championships and having to make substantial cutbacks in operations. Which also causes concern to grow and now Olof Lundh admits what he thinks of those who rule Swedish football.
“Today’s SvFF board is extremely weak. The selection committee and the former SvFF leadership were not concerned with cultivating candidates to take the step into the room of power. Maybe you didn’t want to be challenged in the meantime? Maybe you didn’t think that far? It is clear that it has given Swedish football another big problem in the form of unrest and a possible change of power. We will see who is with and who is against until March,” writes the TV4 profile in its column.
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