This year’s opening round of the Allsvenskan and Superettan attracted large crowds to the stadiums. A total of 148,410 visits were recorded during the 16 matches. This marks an increase of about 7,000 spectators compared to the opening round in 2023.
“The opening round resulted in exactly the great attendance figures that we hoped for and looked forward to. The Allsvenskan matches had an average attendance of 15,580 visitors and increased by about 6,000 spectators compared to last year’s opening matches,” said Ola Rydén, league manager at the Swedish Professional Football Leagues.
Of the total 148,410 visits, the Allsvenskan matches accounted for 124,637, which corresponds to an average of 15,580 visitors per match. The highest attendance figure of the opening round was recorded at Friends Arena, where 36,602 spectators saw AIK win 1-0 at home against Västerås SK.
The match between Hammarby and Kalmar FF also attracted a large audience, with 29,882 visitors filling the Tele2 Arena to capacity. The same was true at Gamla Ullevi, where 17,879 people saw IFK Göteborg’s home premiere against Djurgården. The fourth match to attract an attendance figure of over 10,000 was the meeting between IFK Norrköping and reigning champions Malmö FF (13,028).
“The opening round offered fantastic atmosphere and incredible tifos. The atmosphere created in the Allsvenskan arenas contributes enormously to solidifying our position as the most popular league in the country, and the passion and commitment that supporters show for their teams contribute to making Swedish elite football unique in Europe,” Ola Rydén continued.
The total attendance figure for the Superettan during the opening round was 23,773, which is an increase of around 1,000 visitors compared to 2023. The match between Örebro SK and Skövde AIK attracted the most spectators (6,143), followed by Östers IF – Degerfors IF (4,207) and GIF Sundsvall – Östersunds FK (3,457).
“It is only after round two, when all teams have played their home matches, that we can make proper comparisons with last season, which was a real success in terms of attendance figures. The goal is to surpass last year’s impressive numbers after two rounds of play,” concluded Ola Rydén.
However, the opening weekend with its high-scoring matches and great attendance figures was followed by a tragic aftermath. On Sunday, it was announced that a spectator had suffered a sudden illness during the match between GAIS and IF Brommapojkarna at Gamla Ullevi. The spectator was taken to the hospital where it was later confirmed that the person had passed away. The thoughts of the Swedish Professional Football Leagues are with the deceased’s loved ones.
Results and attendance figures for the opening round:
Allsvenskan:
IFK Norrköping – Malmö FF, 1-5 (13 028)
Hammarby – Kalmar FF, 3-1 (29 882)
GAIS – IF Brommapojkarna, 0-4 (8 077)
BK Häcken – Mjällby AIF, 0-1 (3 631)
IFK Göteborg – Djurgården, 1-4 (17 879)
IK Sirius – Halmstads BK, 3-0 (6 449)
AIK – Västerås SK, 1-0 (36 602)
IF Elfsborg – IFK Värnamo, 2-2 (9 089)
Superettan:
GIF Sundsvall – Östersunds FK, 1-0 (3 457)
Örgryte IS – Utsiktens BK, 1-2 (2 316)
Landskrona BoIS, Sandvikens IF, 4-0 (2 812)
Trelleborgs FF – IK Oddevold, 1-2 (1 011)
Örebro SK – Skövde AIK, 0-1 (6 143)
Gefle IF – Helsingborgs IF, 2-3 (1 866)
IK Brage – Varbergs BoIS, 1-0 (1 961)
Östers IF – Degerfors IF, 1-1 (4 207)