Swedish Football Association

The Swedish Football Association[1] (Swedish: Svenska Fotbollförbundet, SvFF) is the governing and body of football in Sweden. It organises the football leagues – Allsvenskan for men and Damallsvenskan for women – and the men's and women's national teams. It is based in Solna and is a founding member of both FIFA and UEFA. SvFF is supported by 24 district organisations.

Swedish Football Association
UEFA
Founded18 December 1904
HeadquartersSolna
FIFA affiliation21 May 1904
UEFA affiliation1954
PresidentFredrik Reinfeldt
Websitesvenskfotboll.se
A Malmö Aviation aircraft displaying the Svenska Fotbollförbundet logo
Sweden's first national football team, from left Thor Ericsson, Gustaf Bergström, Karl Gustafsson, Nils Andersson, Ove Ericsson, Thodde Malm, Erik Börjesson, Kalle Ansén, Sven Olsson, Erik Bergström and Hans Lindman (1908).
Allsvenskan match between GAIS and Malmö FF in 2006

Background

Svenska Fotbollförbundet (SvFF) (English: Swedish Football Association[1]) was founded in Stockholm on 18 December 1904[2] and is the sports federation responsible for the promotion and administration of organised football in Sweden and also represents the country outside Sweden. SvFF is affiliated to the Swedish Sports Confederation (RF) and the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).

In 2009 there were 3,359 clubs affiliated to the Swedish Football Association with a total of more than a million members, of whom about 500,000 were active players. Together, they accounted for almost one third of the total Swedish sports movement activities.[3]

SvFF administers the Swedish men's respectively women's national football teams, other football teams and leagues including the Allsvenskan and Superettan. The motto of Swedish football – "one club in every village, football for all" – is reflected in the democratic constitution of Swedish football. All football competition in the nation is arranged by the SvFF and its 24 district organisations. The clubs are voting members at the annual meetings of the district organisations. The district organisations and the elite clubs are entitled to vote at the F.A.'s general meeting.[4]

SvFF was the sole owner of Sweden's national stadium, the Råsunda Stadium in Solna, from 1999 until it was replaced in 2012 by Friends Arena, located about 1 kilometer away and also in Solna. SvFF is the lead partner in the consortium that owns the current stadium, and maintains its offices there (as it did at the prior stadium).[4]

The Swedish Football Association Football Gala is held annually in November since 2005. It includes the award for the best male player (Guldbollen) and female players (Diamantbollen).

SvFF had a turnover 2008 of 554 MSEK.[4]

Karl-Erik Nilsson was the President between March 2012 and March 2023. He was replaced by Fredrik Reinfeldt, former Prime Minister of Sweden.[5][6]

Early history

The first Swedish national football championship was played in 1896 but it was 7 years later in 1903 that the Riksidrottsförbundet was formed which was to be the precursor to the Svenska Fotbollförbundet. The new organisation had a football and hockey section (hockey being the term for bandy at that time and not ice hockey or field hockey). In 1904 Sweden was one of 7 nations that founded FIFA.[7] It also introduced ice hockey to Sweden in 1920, before the 1922 establishment of the Swedish Ice Hockey Association. Before the 1925 establishment of the Swedish Bandy Association, the Swedish Football Association also administered organized bandy in Sweden.

In 1906, the name Svenska Fotbollförbundet (Swedish Football Association) was officially accepted and the following year SvFF was officially voted into FIFA. On 12 July 1908, Sweden's first international match was played in which Norway were defeated 11–3 in Gothenburg. However the Olympics were a disappointment for Sweden, losing 1–12 to England and 0–2 to the Netherlands.[7]

Competitions
Swedish Football
League Structure

Allsvenskan (Tier 1)
Superettan (Tier 2)
Division 1 (Tier 3)
Division 2 (Tier 4)
Division 3 (Tier 5)
Division 4 (Tier 6)
Division 5 (Tier 7)
Division 6 (Tier 8)
Division 7 (Tier 9)
Division 8 (Tier 10)

Swedish Football
Women's League Structure

Damallsvenskan (Tier 1)
Elitettan (Tier 2)
Women's Division 1 (Tier 3)
Women's Division 2 (Tier 4)
Women's Division 3 (Tier 5)
Women's Division 4 (Tier 6)
Women's Division 5 (Tier 7)
Women's Division 6 (Tier 8)

Svenska Fotbollförbundet is responsible for organising the following competitions:

Men's football

Women's football

Junior

Cups

Honours

Men's
FIFA World Cup
Olympic Games
FIFA U-17 World Cup
UEFA European Under-21 Championship

Women's
FIFA Women's World Cup
Olympic Games
UEFA Women's Championship
UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship
UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship

District Football Associations

Swedish football is built on a single pyramid league system. While the SvFF administers the top leagues, the 24 district or regional associations administers youth football and the lower-tier leagues from Division 4 (men) and Division 3 (women), respectively, and further below.[8]

The 24 district organisations are as follows:[9]

See also

Footnotes
  1. "The Swedish F.A." svenskfotboll.se. Archived from the original on 29 May 2018. the official web site of the Swedish Football Association
  2. Åke Jönsson (25 February 1904). "Avspark på hemmaplan: Hundra år med fotboll". Populär historia (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 22 March 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  3. "The Swedish FA – Svenskfotboll.se". Archived from the original on 18 January 2011. Retrieved 11 January 2011.
  4. "Swedish Football of Today – Svenskfotboll.se". Archived from the original on 16 January 2011. Retrieved 11 January 2011.
  5. Hannes Nyberg (25 March 2023). "Fredrik Reinfeldt ny ordförande i Svenska fotbollförbundet". SVT Sport. Archived from the original on 25 March 2023. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  6. "Fredrik Reinfeldt ny ordförande i SVFF – avgångskrav direkt". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). 25 March 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
  7. "Milestones of Swedish Football – Svenskfotboll.se". Archived from the original on 15 January 2011. Retrieved 11 January 2011.
  8. "The Swedish League System – Svenskfotboll.se". Archived from the original on 2 May 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2011.
  9. "Kontaktuppgifter och tävlingar – Svenska Fotbollförbundet – Svenskfotboll.se". Archived from the original on 27 April 2011. Retrieved 10 January 2011.
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