The start of the 2020 season finally is here. This season is in many ways unique and unusual and we urge everyone who follows Swedish Allsvenskan and Superettan to help us by respecting the guidelines and recommendations of the Swedish Public Health Authority. Let us together show how we can live up to the confidence we have gained.

It is absolutely crucial for our clubs that the season can be carried out. Swedish Professional Football Leagues has therefore developed two protocols, one for training and one for match, which the clubs in Allsvenskan and Superettan will use in their daily work. We ask all fans and all others interested in our leagues to take their share of the responsibility by not contributing to the formation of crowds in connection with matches and that you respect the rules that apply at sports bars and restaurants.

We will do everything we can to ensure compliance with our protocols and this means, among other things, that we need to limit the number of people allowed to stay inside the stadium at the same time. After all, our green light to start the season requires games behind closed doors, and we have a great responsibility to ensure that we do not increase the risk of transmission of Covid-19.

Our staff and clubs will therefore carefully regulate the number of people in the arena.

Of course, we would have preferred to play in from of a full stadium, but since it is an ongoing pandemic, this is not possible right now. We hope that all fans have an understanding of the clubs’ different decisions around this. Allsvenskan and Superettan are nothing without you and we hope that with your help we will be able to get through these difficult times, and finally put this horrible pandemic behind us. We will actively do everything we can to play in front of a full stadium, the day we are permitted to.

Each game in the opening round will be preceded a minute of silence to honor all deceased in Covid-19 and their relatives.

We also want to show our participation with everyone else who has been affected by the virus in some way.

The start of the 2020 season means games behind closed doors, but it certainly does not mean football without fans.

Thanks for all your help and understanding, we hope to see you at the stands again as soon as possible!

Lars-Christer Olsson, Chairman of Swedish Professional Football. Leagues
Mats Enquist, General Secretary Swedish Professional Football. Leagues