15 Allsvenskan teams go to some form of winter camp in warmer climates such as southern Spain or Portugal.
One team withdraws – Degerforce IF.
– We can sign a player for that money, says sporting director Patrick Werner.
14 Allsvenskan teams have installed their camps abroad. BP is going into a shorter camp but has yet to decide when and where.
Allsvenskan clubs go to the Mediterranean heat in southern Spain and Portugal when it’s cooler in Sweden, for matches, training and squad building just before the start of the competitive season with the Swedish Cup.
The economy stops
One team, Degerforce, stays home.
– The players will say it’s because I’m afraid of flying, says sporting director Patrick Werner. The truth is, we don’t have lakes to make money on. It’s a financial issue and we think it would be wrong to practice on nice grass pitches to come home and play in the cold and on artificial turf.
We haven’t gone for many years, so the players are used to it and the coaches don’t think it’s very necessary. A foreign camp costs 200,000 – 300,000 SEK. Werner says: We can sign a player for that.
The plant does not completely abstain from camp activities.
– We went to Gotland several times during the summer holidays. It suited us better.
Where do you have to build your squad with new signings and burgeoning youngsters when other teams are camped out in southern Europe?
– We can be in Stora Valla. We have many profiles in the team and in the club that can participate in different activities and build our unique cohesion.
Sandstrand or Christinehamn?
– We went to a spa in Loka sometime. We played Padel at Kristinehamn and were able to relax there. You don’t have to bother with this, says Patrick Werner.
Degen’s sports director, who previously went to several camps abroad as a player and coach, also admits:
– There are really no drawbacks to going abroad, it’s a matter of priorities in the budget. It’s a chance to get away from other distractions like kids, wives, partners, and just exercise and spend time with each other.
– Ah, now it seems that I don’t want to spend time with my family either … – says Werner.
Elfsborg appears on television and in foreign camps.
– Because Anderson wants it (Stefan, club manager).
– It’s not impossible to get on the road in the coming seasons because there are huge advantages if the economy allows – even if you’re worried about getting on a plane, says profiler Patrick Werner.