Club Managers and Sports Directors from all 32 clubs in Allsvenskan and Superettan were invited to a conference in Spain to discuss the future of the leagues in one of the perhaps most important meetings ever for Swedish elite football. The purpose of the trip was to reflect on how future revenue should be used, how clubs should be strengthened and how talent development could be even more successful.
”We are very pleased about how the discussions have gone these three days. It is a high profiled group who is attending and we are not only happy that they could give us their precious time just to be here but also for the commitment to the future of Swedish elite football. We have received very good input for how we will continue to work”, says Mats Enquist, CEO at Swedish Elite Football.
Almost all clubs participated in the combined meeting for both Club Managers and Sport Directos where focus was on discussing the future of Swedish elite football. On the agenda there were questions about club development and how the clubs should build their sports office with long-term thinking and continuity in leading positions. One of the important strategic decisions is to target some of the new money that comes through changing agreements from 2020 and onwards.
”Swedish Elite Football should target parts of the new money to ensure long-term development of clubs and leagues and how we will work to improve even more”, says Niklas Allbäck, Club Manager in Örgryte IS.
Simon Åström, CEO and Club Manager in Örebro SK thinks the same.
”We must use the new money wisely so that we not only double the payrolls. We also need to spend money on other areas and to develop the businesses, thus strengthening the league.
Conference participants also talked about how Sweden will be the Best League in Scandinavia from a sports perspective and if there is a need to change or expand current key ratios, but also how to develop Swedish talent development and the youth academies. Since Stefan Lundin has left his position as Sports Director at Swedish Elite Football, his position needs to be replaced and one of the discussion points was about the needs ahead and what profile his replacement should have.
”We need to assist the youth academies in developing even better players so that the first team can take care of them. Much by continuing to develop Tipselit, but Swedish Elite Football also needs to invest in supporting the clubs to develop the best academies in Scandinavia”, says Leif Karlsson, Youth Sport Manager in AIK.
There was also room for a discussion about club development and how Swedish football thinks about VAR and unsportsmanlike behavior.
