Olsson, former secretary general of the European Football Association (Uefa) and former chairman of Swedish elite football was one of the selection committee’s three main candidates and he was nominated by Västerbottens FF.
— I thought perhaps that Hélène Barnekow (former CEO of Microsoft Sweden and Telia Sweden, nominated by Skånes FF) was a stronger card, but apparently the selection committee did not think so. I thought there was stronger support for that type of candidate among the districts, but I seem to have misjudged that, says Olsson to SVT and states:
— I have reasoned with those who nominated me and they have asked me to remain as a candidate and I have said okay to that.
At the confederation meeting on March 25, the new SvFF chairman will be voted for, and Olsson feels that he has an advantage over Reinfeldt as he has extensive experience in football.
— Yes, I would suspect that, because he has never been in the football business, he knows football as a spectator but has not been in it. But it is football Sweden that gets to decide that, says Olsson.
When Reinfeldt met the press as the election committee’s main candidate on Wednesday, he highlighted his political background.
— I have been chairman in principle continuously for 35 years. At local level, in district, at national level and internationally. I have really practiced being a chairman. And the single most important thing these 35 years have taught me is that a chairman should unite, bring together, not divide, he said then.