The first physical kick-off meeting of Superettan since 2019 was held in Gothenburg a week ahead of the season premiere. All 16 clubs were present with their head coach and team captain.
“Superettan is perhaps the most exciting and uncertain series we have in the country. This year we are experiencing greater media interest in the league than in a long time, with close to 50 sports journalists on site to cover the kick-off meeting”, says Kaveh Sarvari, Events and private market manager at Swedish Professional Football Leagues and responsible for the kick-off meetings.

The marketing and brand manager of Swedish Professional Football Leagues, Calle Stjerna, joined the event to presented the book Football. For real.

“This is a book that we are proud of. Where we, from the league’s side, look towards a football world that may not always run in a direction that does not always run in a direction that we stand for. This is a book to stop and think about what we should cherish, and never renounce. Then we asked those who really have the answers. Those who have a love for the teams in Allsvenskan and Superettan and what they value most”, says Calle Stjerna and continues.

“This book is 225 pages long and contains stories with great emotions, hope and despair, love and sadness, but above all community.This is what Swedish football really is about.”

The kick-off meeting was carried out in a traditional format where all 16 clubs went on stage to be interviewed by Warner Bros. Discovery’s Ramin Nouri and Pär Hansson.

“Everyone says that Superettan is the most exciting league we got. In recent years, the difference between positive and negative qualifications has been small. Last season there were eight teams involved in that battle. This year in advance, it feels uncertain on all sides and edges”, says Ramin Nouri and continues.

“For us, it means a lot to be here. It is invaluable to meet all the clubs like this and make a contact this early in the season. When you see each other in the stadiums afterwards, you already know each other”.

230327 Bakre raden från vänster: Landskronas tränare Per-Ola Ljung, Jönköping Södras tränare Andrés Garcia, Örebros VD Jonas Lindegren, Sundsvalls tränare Douglas Jakobsen, Skövdes tränare Tobias Linderoth, Helsingborgs tränare Mattias Lindström, Örgrytes tränare Jeffrey Aubynn och Landskronas tränare Billy Magnusson. Främre raden från vänster: Eskilstunas tränare Jawad Al Jebouri, Östers tränare Srdjan Tufegdzic, Gais tränare Fredrik Holmberg, Brages tränare Kleber Saarenpää, Utsiktens tränare Bosko Orovic, Gefles tränare Martin Rauschenberg, Västerås tränare Kalle Karlsson och Östersunds tränare Magnus Powel poserar för ett porträtt under Superettans upptaktsträff den 27 mars 2023 i Göteborg. Foto: Daniel Stiller / BILDBYRÅN / kod DS / DS0295

The media predictions were presented and the teams went up in the order they were believed to end up in the league, starting from the bottom. Among this year’s favorites are Östers IF and Helsingborgs IF, while Trelleborgs FF and GAIS were tipped to fight for the qualification spot upwards. Further down the table you could find Jönköping’s Södra IF, Utsiktens BK and Östersunds FK.

In connection with lunch, the coaches were photographed in their clubs’ match shirts.

After the stage program, the usual club fair took over, where the media had the opportunity to talk to players and leaders from the clubs in the league.

230327 Sundsvalls Pontus Engblom och tränare Douglas Jakobsen under Superettans upptaktsträff den 27 mars 2023 i Göteborg. Foto: Daniel Stiller / BILDBYRÅN / kod DS / DS0295

“It is nice to meet all the head coach colleagues at the same time. Normally you only meet them on the pitch during a game. I have a good feeling for the season. In terms of performance, we have done well but may not have got the results with us yet”, says Tobias Linderoth, coach of Skövde AIK, who is now in his second straight season in Superettan.

Superettan kicks off on April 1.