IFK Kalmar's sporting director critical of SvFF: "Must take a much greater responsibility"

IFK Kalmar is one of several elite associations on the women's side in Swedish football that in recent years has been in a tough financial situation.

Unlike former league competitor Eskilstuna United, Kalmar has passed its elite license, but the association is still in a situation where long-term planning is difficult for financial reasons.

Sports director Tommy Nyberg is critical of how the Swedish Football Association looks after the associations in elite football on the women's side.

- I believe that the Swedish Football Association must take much greater financial responsibility for women's football.

You are a confederation that is doing well financially and must take much, much greater long-term responsibility for a business that is still among the best in the world, he tells SVT Sport.

"Clearly women's football is not a priority"

The financial help needs to go to both the associations and their interest organization, Elite Soccer Dam, Nyberg believes.

In addition, the association has a responsibility in terms of marketing the elite leagues.

- The difference is marked in how the various leagues are marketed and also the participation of people within the association.

You can look at that purely objectively, how much space it gets.

It has been clear that women's football is not prioritized in the way it should be, he says.

The fact that men's football in Sweden has a greater public interest than women's football is a factor that to a certain extent needs to be taken into account and there the league has work to implement, according to Nyberg, to become more attractive.

- People choose a product and obviously we have not managed to show that our product is equally important and good to look at.

Of course, I understand that when people don't come, there won't be the same resources, but it shouldn't have such a significance for the Swedish Football Association, concludes Nyberg.