Ahead of the season start the Integrity Officers from the Allsvenskan and Superettan clubs gathered to review the conditions for the upcoming year. New for this year was that the meeting took place together with the women elite clubs as well.
“The meeting serves as a recurring kickoff for the new season, where we review and inform about past events and what lies ahead,” says Anders Wikström, head of integrity issues at Swedish Professional Football Leagues.
“Following requests from our clubs, we chose this year to conduct the first part together with the women’s clubs (EFD), as several clubs have both men’s and women’s elite teams and, in some cases, share the same Integrity Officer. It’s a way to streamline our operations.”
The first part of the training was led by SVFF’s Integrity Officer Mikael Thorstensson for all Integrity Officers within SEF and EFD. Participants received a presentation from the Swedish Football Association on the history of match-fixing, how the FA works to combat it, and that their mission broadly involves prevention, investigation, cooperation, and influence. Representatives also went through the regulations still in place regarding agent activities in 2025.
“This part is a combined information session and basic training for the role of Integrity Officer. It’s important for all Integrity Officers to be reminded of the significance and responsibility of this role. Encouragingly, the number of suspected matches reported to SVFF is steadily declining, indicating that our efforts are making a positive impact.”
The second part of the training was conducted by SEF independently for their Integrity Officers, with participation from Unibet and Spelfriheten. SSwedish Professional Football Leagues provided information about deadlines and activities leading up to and during the season. Among other things, all Integrity Officers must complete two training sessions: one on anti-match-fixing and another on responsible gambling. In addition to completing the training themselves, each Integrity Officer is responsible for ensuring that players and staff in their club complete the training as well. Swedish Professional Football Leagues requires a 100% completion rate to ensure that everyone is informed about how things work, what rules apply, and what is expected.
“Even if it’s repetitive for some, we see only benefits in requiring these training sessions before each new season. These are crucial issues that remain relevant and therefore need to be raised and discussed regularly,” says Anders Wikström.
Anders Falk from Unibet spoke about the partnership with Swedish Professional Football Leagues and their shared zero-tolerance policy on match-fixing and gambling-related issues. The meeting concluded with Adam Reuterswärd from Spelfriheten, who spoke about the tour conducted by Spelfriheten in collaboration with Swedish Professional Football Leagues and Unibet, visiting elite clubs across the country. The tour addresses gambling-related problems and mental health, aiming to highlight the risks and challenges associated with irresponsible gambling.
Facts about the Integrity Officer Role:
The role of Integrity Officer is part of the partnership between Swedish Professional Football Leagues and Unibet. It is a key role in safeguarding the integrity of elite football in matters of responsible gambling and match-fixing. Each men’s elite club has an Integrity Officer in their organization. This person, typically the club’s sporting director, serves as the link between the club, players, and league on these matters. Each Integrity Officer has received specific training for their responsibilities.
