On March 20, the announcement came that the government is going into a financial support package of SEK 500 million for the sports movement to mitigate the effects of the corona pandemic. The money will cover the loss of income in sports in March and April.

But since then?

Björn Eriksson does not rule out that more money may be needed unless the situation improves.

- We must try to live as well as we can on these 500 million during the first half of the year, but if this misery continues, and that is a point that I will be very clear with, then of course we have to come back. It is important to mark it already, he says.

Impossible to say

The National Sports Federation (RF) and Eriksson, who have been clear that not everyone will be able to fully compensate, have previously made an economic assessment of how sports are affected between March 12 and April 30. The next step is to calculate the sport's financial loss in May and June.

Björn Eriksson thinks that it is "almost impossible" to answer how much the costs may increase, but states:

- It is of the utmost importance that not least the youth activities and the whole of this part continue. Otherwise, you will have huge problems with mobility and physical activity, but you will also have a situation when you remove the glimmer of light that still exists in almost millions of people, namely the desire for sports. I dare not say what the figure will be, but I can only say that then we will come back. We will do what we can to get through the first half of the year because we also feel a solidarity with society.

"Not there yet"

TT: Are there any plans for a new crisis package already?

- If this were to continue into the second half of 2020, then we have started to consider different scenarios. It is about thinking about different alternatives, where the best option is that we have returned to normal operations and the worst is that the problem of infection and corona continues. Then we have to lift our voice again, but we are not there yet.

RF is currently working on how to distribute the support of 500 million.

Björn Eriksson has previously said that he hopes the first money can start being paid out in mid-April, but is still waiting for the government to submit its proposal so that the Riksdag can make decisions.

- It depends a little on the government, too, we can't hand out something we haven't received yet, says Eriksson.