PHOTO: Bildbyrån
The Swedish national team misses the summer football parties – during a year when the association has to save 30 million kroner.
With two straight missed men’s championships, at least SEK 219 million in revenue disappeared.
– We will face increasingly resourceful opponents in the future, says association chairman Fredrik Reinfeldt.
It was just before Christmas that the announcement came that the Swedish Football Association must save SEK 30 million in 2024. One reason is that the restart support after the pandemic disappears at the turn of the year.
– That’s SEK 35 million that disappears just there. And then there is the effect of two missed championships in a row on the men’s side, says the chairman Fredrik Reinfeldt.
“Take responsibility”
With a missed men’s WC in Qatar 2022, 112 million kroner disappeared in base plate. A missed men’s EC in Germany this summer means that an additional SEK 107 million in starting money is lost. The women’s national team did not qualify for the Olympics in Paris. That tournament does not give prize money, but Swedish football misses out on a lot of exposure.
– This is an economic reality. That should also be remembered when everyone says: Bet on that, bet on something else. But in reality we trim and reduce, because we have to take responsibility for the economy, says Reinfeldt.
How will Sweden’s national team reach the championships in the future?
– More and more countries, with larger populations than Sweden, invest in the women’s side. Countries that have commercial rights that are infinitely more valuable than the rights of a small population can be. So we must be clear that we will face increasingly resourceful opponents. It’s already true on the men’s side, it’s coming on the women’s side, says Reinfeldt and continues:
– Just as you ask me questions about how we should go to the next major championship, that question is asked of leaders all over the world – that is, everyone has this goal and it is narrow and difficult to reach.
Reinfeldt emphasizes that the sporting development lies with the two technical directors Caroline Sjöblom (girls and women’s side) and Peter Wettergren (boys and men’s side) and the football manager Kim Kallstrom.
“Work first”
– We have to get better at our core task. That football is put at the center and that we develop technical know-how around our football. They must take responsibility for improving our development work, player development and talent development.
It is the Secretary General Andrea Mollerberg which oversees the savings on the union. It’s not all bad, Reinfeldt believes. It can be useful to question structures and previous ways of working.
– It can be difficult at first, but it is often very wise to shine a light on the costs and the ways of making decisions you have had in order to trim and become more efficient that way, he says.
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Money in WC/EC:
Men’s national team
EC 2024 (not qualified): misses 107.3 million kroner in base plate.
WC 2022 (not qualified): missed SEK 112 million in start and preparation money.
EC 2021 (went out in the round of 16): gave SEK 141 million.
WC 2018 (went out in the quarter-finals): gave SEK 166 million.
Women’s national team
Olympics 2024 (not qualified): no prize money awarded.
WC 2023 (took bronze): gave SEK 82.6 million.
EC 2022 (result in semi-finals): yielded SEK 17.9 million.
WC 2019 (took bronze): gave SEK 24 million.
Sources: Fifa, Uefa, Swedish Football Association’s activity reports.
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