Swedish Professional Football Leauges has been in discussions with the elite clubs about extending the Allsvenskan season following an analysis of upcoming season schedules conducted with the Swedish Football Association’s competition department earlier this year. At the October membership meeting, the clubs decided to submit a proposal to the Swedish Football Association, with a decision expected at the 2025 representative meeting. This proposal also affects Superettan by introducing a new playoff structure.
“Due to the increasingly condensed international match calendar, we need to extend the season to fit in all national matches,” says Ola Rydén, League Manager at Swedish Professional Football Leagues.
Starting in 2026, the Allsvenskan season would conclude a few weeks later than it does now, with the final two rounds played at the end of November each year. Superettan would maintain its current schedule, but to align with the Allsvenskan extension, a playoff would be introduced, taking place at the end of November and the beginning of December annually. This playoff would feature a two-leg match between the third- and fourth-placed teams in the Superettan regular season. The winner of this matchup would then face the 14th-placed team from Allsvenskan in a promotion/relegation playoff for a spot in the following year’s Allsvenskan.
The main reason behind this proposal is the lack of available dates in the annual calendar for Allsvenskan matches, given the international dates reserved by FIFA and UEFA for their competitions.
“The adjustments made by UEFA and FIFA to their formats mean that we need to make this change to ensure we can schedule all national matches for Allsvenskan and the Swedish Cup. At the same time, we’re introducing a playoff in Superettan, creating an additional opportunity for the fourth-placed team to reach Allsvenskan,” says Svante Samuelsson, Sporting Director at Swedish Professional Football Leagues.
The decision on this proposal will be made at the Swedish Football Association’s Representative Meeting in November 2025.
