Football clubs are bleeding financially due to the restrictions that exist for the general gatherings. Today, the Public Health Agency's state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell announced that in a response to the consultation, a ceiling of 500 people is proposed for sitting events. Swedish elite football is very critical of the proposal.

- It was a bit dizzying, I must say. We felt a hope yesterday when Anders Tegnell (state epidemiologist) said that they worked according to a general ceiling height and pointed out that 30-40 percent of the arena's capacity would be a key figure. But since today, something completely different came with a limit of 500 people that we have a very hard time understanding. 500 in a small basement compared to Friends arena, says Swedish elite football's general secretary Mats Enquist and continues:

- When you set an absolute maximum ceiling as a recommendation, then it makes it impossible to work according to infection control advice, and we do not understand that. I hope we have a dialogue about this. It's a little hard to understand.

"Hope the government takes responsibility"

Mats Enquist now hopes that the government listens to football and does not decide on a ceiling of 500 people.

- We hope that the government takes responsibility now. It is nevertheless the case that it is not the Public Health Agency that governs Sweden, but it is the government. It is the same government that has enacted the regulation that currently restricts public events. It is also the government's responsibility to discuss how to return to constitutionally protected rights, which we actually have, by having public events. I hope that everyone thinks until now to set an absolute ceiling feels very strange, he says.

Opens up for more

The Swedish Public Health Agency, on the other hand, will open later to admit more than 500 people.

- We suggest that we at least initially raise the limit from 50 to 500 in the places that have numbered, designated seats and that the audience is spread out so that there is at least one meter between those who sit. Then we follow up the whole thing after a month or so and see if there is a possibility to increase the audience further, says state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell.