Swedish Elite Football: "Maybe they should listen to us on supporter issues"

Recently, there has been pressure on state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell and the Public Health Agency from the football side. You want to get green light to be able to start your elite series and that was something that the Liberal Party leader Nyamko Sabuni advocated yesterday.

Yesterday, Tegnell told SVT Sport that a message could come next week.

From the interest of all Swedish and super-elite Svensk Elite Football, a protocol has been developed for how to carry out the series in a contagious manner and now you want to start the series to save the clubs both sporting and financial.

- We took the situation very seriously and produced the protocols and then it is important that we are also taken seriously. We have a situation where we have millions of fans, we have a business that is a pretty big cog in the Swedish popular movement that risks feeling extremely bad. It has both sporting and financial consequences. Everything is extremely shaky right now, says Enquist.

Tegnell points to crowds at sports bars as an "absolute risk situation" if you start allsvenskan. Still, Enquist believes that supporters should handle responsibly.

- We talk to supporter groups and they stand behind us really hard. We listen to those who are virus experts to develop our protocols and avoid the spread of infection, then maybe they should listen to us when it comes to supporter issues because there we have a completely different competence. Right now the debate has been about what is outside football and I feel that we have given the answers we can. There, I feel no concern, I'm sure the supporters take a great responsibility, says Enquist.

Sports Minister Amanda Lind does not think that football should take responsibility for the bars.

- I hope and assume that when the Public Health Authority discusses with the sport it is about what the sport can do to ensure a restart. Then it is clear taverns and other businesses need to keep their recommendations in such a situation. It's not something the sport itself can wear. In Germany (where the league started this weekend), fans seem to have made a good effort and not gathered and that is positive, she says in the Morning Studio and continues:

- I listen to the sport and have a continuous dialogue. I suppose the Public Health Authority is also listening, but we have to remember that we are in a pandemic and this is a serious situation where many businesses are affected. Football is one of them and I think we are many who feel that it would be great if the elite leagues can open again because it plays a big role in society.