Football, the National Sports Confederation and the Police all were called to the Government on Friday for a meeting regarding the current social debate on violence in football stadiums.
“It is important that the politics gets involved. All parties must actively work together on these issues, says Simon Åström”, chairman of Swedish Professional Football Leagues.
The meeting was attended by Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer (M) and Minister of Sports Jakob Forssmed (Kd) as well as representatives from the Swedish Football Association, Swedish Professional Football Leagues, the National Sports Confederation and the Police. All parties gave their views on the incident and the current security situation for elite football in Sweden.
“The big reason why we are sitting here today is because of the individuals who commit serious disturbances and crimes in our stadiums. It is those individuals and their actions that we should focus on. Having that said, it was a good first meeting in this constellation which I see as a starting point for a more detailed and wider dialogue with the politicians”, Simon Åström believes.
The representatives of Swedish Professional Football Leauges highlighted challenges with current legislation, including camera surveillance, and the difficulty due to masks to identify those who commit disorderly conduct.
“What happened at the Stockholm derby risks ruining so much for the football we want. We need to collaborate across borders to find the right solutions to the problems. Of course, all parties need to take a great deal of personal responsibility, but we also need each other’s help. I would like representatives from the fans to be there next time as well. This is long-term work that must continue”, says Simon Åström.
Another thing that came out in the meeting was that everyone still sees the existing exclusion strategy as the right way to go, but that there are details that need to be fine-tuned, where everyone must take their responsibility. It was also talked about that football needs to take greater responsibility for the culture they contribute to.
All participating parties now take their insights from the meeting home to their everyday lives. The ambition is then for the parties to meet in the same constellation again this autumn.
