Allsvenskan goes global

The 2008 Allsvenskan could have a very different look after the Swedish Football Association (SvFF) decided to abolish the limit on clubs having any more than three non-European Union players on the pitch at any time.

Driving force
Helsingborgs IF, who finished eighth in 2007, have been a driving force behind the change. "We thought it was wrong so we decided to raise the issue with the Swedish FA and we are very pleased to see that they've listened to us," said Helsingborg chairman Sten-Inge Fredin.

SvFF fears
SvFF president Lars-Åka Lagrell explained why they assented: "I'm not sure it's a good thing, but there are a lot of regulations where we have to follow directives from the EU. There's a definite risk that the number of Swedish talents will decrease over the coming years, but there's not much we can do about it." General secretary Sune Hellströmer added: "If you look at Switzerland, Austria and even England the number of local young talents has decreased. There's nothing positive about it, but we're part of a very international world so we have to follow suit."

Local projects
Bert Andersson, from the Gothenburg branch of the SvFF, shares those fears but is attempting to make amends in other ways. "We must hope the decision does not mean we'll get more foreign players," he said. "We've set aside 60 million kronor (€6.4m) for a huge talent project, and the top clubs in Sweden must also take their share of responsibility for ensuring young Swedish players get a chance to play games." Lagrell reiterated: "We are doing what we can and are working on both national and regional levels to improve our youngsters."

IFK example
Although there are signs that emerging talents are already moving to Norway and Denmark for first-team opportunities, Swedish title-holders IFK Göteborg stress that they remain committed to using local players. Sporting director Håkan Mild said: "We're not saying we won't sign foreign players, but there are a lot of good Swedish youngsters and we think it's the right thing to do to give them a chance." Coach Stefan Rehn showed the way when including 15-year-old Niklas Bärkroth in his lineup last season. "He's a good player and we don't look at the passport when selecting the squad," Rehn said.