On Friday afternoon, the Swedish Handball Association announced that a leader in the handball league will be suspended for "illegal betting".

The sentence will be eight months long.

Sportbladet reports that this is Guif's assistant coach Mattias Zachrisson.

The 31-year-old - who has made over 100 international appearances for Sweden - tells the newspaper:

- What I have done is that I have placed a bet that we will win a match.

A straight one on Guif.

Apparently you were not allowed to do that, play on a positive result.

This came as a real shock.

"Feels brutal"

Zachrisson also says he should appeal.

- If I had known that it was forbidden, I of course would not have done it.

But an eight-month suspension feels brutal.

I do not immediately think that I am alone in having made a small bet on my own team.

The match he played in was Guif-Kristianstad.

It was played on February 13, 2022. Guif won by 27-24.