The JRC had expected major reactions when the decision to close down the elite effort was announced.

But not as big reactions as it was.

"We were surprised that so many stepped forward and showed willingness to help find solutions to maintain an elite business for women's football in Gothenburg," says the JRC in a press release.

And on New Year's Eve, the counter-message came that, after all, to continue both in the Damallsvenskan and in the Champions League 2021.

Not money

Conspiracy theorists may suspect that everything was a strategic game to get more sponsors and more money, but according to the club's communications manager, it's not about that at all.

- No.

We are one of the few clubs in Sweden that has good finances.

Look at any damallsvensk club, Rosengård excepted, and they get on their knees, says Tore Lund and continues to list all the strong sponsors GFC has.

Intermediate milk country

According to him, the decision was rather that chairman Peter Bronsman "does not want to see the team harrow around in middle milk country".

- As I know him, he is completely sincere when he says that in order to assert oneself, one must go this way.

If we want to be on the same level as Bayern Munich, which we met last year, or Manchester City, which we met this year, we must have a broader platform.

Then we can certainly be a top team in Sweden for the foreseeable future, but ...

Is that not enough then?

- Well, but then you automatically come out in the Champions League and there you want to meet the best teams.

But then it's about money anyway, right?

It takes bigger financial muscle to manage the top places in the Champions League?

- Absolutely, but all those clubs have women's football as an integral part of their business.

And it is men's football that pulls in the money.

Then it does not help much that we have higher audience numbers than Manchester City, says Tore Lund.

There are interested

The uproar over the decision the other day made many people contact the club.

- Not least, there are a couple of associations that want to have discussions about cooperation to create this broader platform that we want, says Tore Lund.

He does not want to answer which associations these are, other than that these are in Gothenburg.