On Tuesday, another follow-up meeting was held at the Swedish government office regarding disturbances at the Allsvenskan and Superettan stadiums. Swedish Professional Football Leagues was one of several actors that participated.

At the meeting, Swedish authorities presented the directive to the investigation, which aims to review legislation, rules and tools to deal with disturbances, including linked to access bans and closing times as well as other measures that can help the organizers in their security work. Swedish football welcomes the investigation.

“The meeting was a follow-up meeting that had its origin in the previous dialogues we had with politics. We are positive about the investigation that the government is appointing and that we are getting help from the authorities. We see this as a social issue that spills over into football, and where we need support and collaboration between all parties. We have developed our work during the year, and we all agree that we need to find more measures to avoid a new season with as extensive disturbances of order as we had in 2023”, says Simon Åström about the meeting.

During the year, several follow-up meetings were held at official level, but this was the first major meeting at the government office since the parties met for the first time just before the summer. From the government, Justice Minister Gunnar Stömmer (M) and Sports Minister Jakob Forssmed (Kd) participated. Swedish Professional Football Leagues was represented by chairman Simon Åström, general secretary Johan Lindvall and communications manager Robert Johansson. Others who participated were the Swedish Football Association’s general secretary Andrea Möllerberg and chief legal officer Tobias Tibell as well as representatives from the Swedish Sports Confederation (RF), the Swedish Football Supporters’ Union (SFSU), Stockholm Live and the police and prosecutor’s office. On the agenda were talks about security at football matches.

All participants still believe that the so-called exclusion strategy is the right way to go, that is to say that the individuals who commit crimes must be identified, prosecuted and suspended, but also that there are challenges around this.

“We discussed various arrangements and measures for how we move forward, including how we handle matches where pyrotechnics are set off, bangers are broken or dangerous objects are thrown, and how we can and should prevent this in a better way than before. We need to take our responsibility and find our own measures. At the same time, we appeal to the supporter collective to take responsibility in the matter and help make our events safe and welcoming as well as with the wonderful atmosphere and the football party that we all know that Swedish football most often delivers after all”, says Johan Lindvall.

“We are working intensively together with our associations with the measures we need to put in place and collaborate around going forward. Dialogue and anchoring is now underway ahead of the 2024 season. A continued close dialogue with both the police and the supporter movement is also a key. We all need to stand up for this and defend the fine stand culture we want to be able to live in our stands”, concludes Simon Åström.

The joint meetings between the parties continue during the winter and spring.