Lars Krister Olsson, 73, is the first of the main candidates to become the new president of the Swedish Football Association to answer Sportbladet’s 11 questions.
The 51 percent rule is fundamental to our business and must be maintained, says Olson.
1) What are your best and worst football memories?
– As my best football memory, I chose one of which I myself was a part, the whole journey before, during and after the World Cup in the USA in 1994. And that journey includes qualification, the tournament itself and the return to Stockholm along with all the positive effects this had on Swedish football.
– My worst memories are those observed from afar, the Heysel disaster at the European Cup Final in Brussels in 1985. 39 people died and nearly 400 were injured, at the height of the unrest around football matches and also completely unnecessarily.
2) How important is the 51% rule in your eyes?
Swedish football is based on member-owned associations where members always have the final say in crucial decisions and decisions are made in a democratic spirit. The 51 percent rule protects this core principle of our business and must be preserved. It is sometimes seen as an impediment to necessary investments in clubs, but this problem must be resolved in ways other than putting members’ influence at risk.
3) Do flares and fireworks belong in soccer fields?
– Flares and fireworks that are a danger to spectators and players in our stadiums do not belong there. The atmosphere in the arenas is important, but it does not depend on fireworks and flashy. Football matches should be safe and welcoming to all types of spectators, and everyone who comes to the match has a responsibility to do so.
4) How do you see the position of the Swedish Football Association? FIFA And the water cycle in Qatar, for example in comparison with the Norwegian line in the era of Lise Klavenes?
My perception of FIFA and Qatar is close to the point of view presented by Liz Claveness in her speech. But the problems go beyond the World Cup, which was not supposed to be awarded to Qatar because of the corrupt process that led to the decision. Apart from organizing competitions globally, FIFA’s top priority goal should be eradicating corruption in world football. Northern Confederates actively worked to improve the working and other conditions of the people who, for example, built yards. More could certainly have been done but boycotting would not be the right way, change takes constant work.
5) Does the Swedish Football Association need – and if so how – to increase the proportion of youth, women and people of foreign origin among its elected representatives?
Effective recruitment of leadership is a critical task for SvFF. This recruitment should be prepared so that at all levels within the company we can supply leaders who represent everyone who wants to be involved in football, i.e. girls and boys, older and younger people with different dispositions and people in vulnerable positions, with different origins, in sparsely populated areas. or urban areas. Football must be playable all over Sweden. Synthetic classes don’t solve driving problems and the rules we agreed for all Swedish sports are good.
6) If the Swedish Football Association had to choose to invest more resources in better and higher teams, national teams and elite clubs, or on smaller associations below the league systems – what do you think should take priority in this situation?
– My point is that Swedish football does not need and should not choose between investing in elite activities or broad activities. With a thoughtful and creative way of working, football will be able to create conditions that can provide the public and the elite with the resources to achieve good sporting results and take care of everyone who wants to deal with football. It will take hard work and the right focus but it is totally possible. Within Sweden’s elite football team, we have shown in recent years that it works. We must keep football together.
7) Is the process for selecting a new president of the Swedish Football Association transparent and open enough to participate in the grassroots football movement?
Preparations are fully open and have started in good time so that everyone can participate. In addition, the March meeting of the Confederation is preceded by annual meetings in all the provinces at which all the unions are invited to present their proposals and opinions, in addition, the assemblies for voting by women and men hold their annual meetings before the meeting of the federation where elections are held.
8) You have previously worked in Swedish and international football’s circles of influence – does this correspond to a new assignment as president of the Swedish Football Association?
– I find it difficult to understand the question of whether experience in international football would not be compatible with my election as president of the Saudi national football team. In my world, the relationship is somewhat the opposite, that is, a lack of international experience would actually be a disadvantage. It takes time to build international networks where you can learn from others about what can be good for Swedish football. The same naturally applies to the experience from different parts of Swedish football. I find it hard to see ignorance as an advantage.
9) How many hits did you manage to keep the soccer ball in the air…?
– When I was playing soccer, I had good technique, although I was never a dribbling artist. Now it’s worse with my feet, but I’m pretty good at keeping several things in my head at the same time and I get a lot out of it.
10) According to many media reports, employee surveys show that there is a partial problem with the work environment in the Swedish Football Association. Does the environment and leadership within SvFF need to change?
– I have also read media reports that there will be a difficult working environment in the Federal Chancellery, but the personnel questionnaires that we leaders gave us did not show this. Of course, this does not prevent this issue from being taken up by the new Federal Council, which will be elected in March. I think Swedish football needs a new discussion about how all the business is conducted if we are to be successful in dealing with the challenges we face and this applies across the entire field of operations where it is important that we maximize the impact of total resources. we have together.
11) What are the three most important issues in Swedish football from your point of view?
A/ Maintaining and developing cooperation in Swedish football. By international comparison, the Swedish model of collaboration between large-scale and elite operations is unusual, but it can be refined and made more effective with the right distribution of work and the right priorities.
B/ There is room for improvement in terms of football organization so that sporting activities are organized in a sustainable manner and in line with resource conditions.
C / Giving priority to leadership development, employment and increasing common resources.
Sportbladet had been in contact with the third candidate for president, Frederick Reinfeldt, but he refused to participate.