On Sunday, the police canceled the Stockholm derby in the football Allsvenskan between Djurgården and Hammarby after bangers and pyrotechnics were thrown in from the stands. Hammarby won the match, which was played on Monday afternoon without an audience, with 2-0.
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson does not comment on the police action but says about the scenes in the stands:
It is completely unacceptable that stands would become a sanctuary for a violence that we would never accept elsewhere. We can’t have it like that.
Are you concerned about the stand culture in Sweden?
Yes, at least in between. The overwhelming majority go to football, by themselves or with their children, with joy and to experience football and then there is always a small tail that does everything to sabotage others. It is a concern.
The decision has received criticism
The incident has caused strong reactions within football Sweden. Among other things, the police’s decision to cancel the match afterwards has received criticism from various quarters. Hammarby’s head of security Göran Rickmer says that the incident itself is “too damned”, but that the police’s decision is not reasonable.
– The police show new powder and show themselves on the tightrope, he says after the match.
According to information to TV4 Nyheterna, the police have also had to deal with a threatening image against a policeman who is said to have had a responsible role in commanding the match. The threat is said to have arisen after the decision was made to send the crowd out and is suspected to have come from football supporters.
“Need not to agree”
Per Engström, section manager at the National Operative Department (Noa) has previously told TV4 that Noa is taking seriously what happened during the match when one person was also burned.
– We do not have to agree on this decision. We look after life and health, order and safety, then others may have other points of view. But we go in and interrupt when we see that the organizer has lost his grip, he says.