Football in Sweden
Football in Sweden is one of the most popular sports in addition to hockey. In addition to the state-owned Championships in Sweden is also a strong media interest in the performance of Swedish football players abroad. The reigning champions are Malmö FF in the men's and LDB FC Malmö among women.
- 4.1 history
- 4.2 Current leagues pyramid
- 4.3 Damallsvenskan
Association
Today's Swedish Football Association Svenska Fotbollförbundet emerged on December 18, 1904, when 77 clubs in Stockholm for Svenska Gymnastics och Idrottsföreningarnas riksförbunds section för fotboll och bandy merged, which gave the current name a year later. However, in the early years there were other associations. One of these organizations was founded in 1902, Svenska Bollspelsförbundet that counted in 1904 to the founding members of FIFA in Paris. In the following years the Svenska Fotbollförbundet replaced the competing associations and was from 1906 the international representative of Swedish football at the FIFA. At the foundation of the European continental federation UEFA 1954 Sweden was also among the constituent member associations.
Colorful personality of the early years of the Swedish Football Association was Clarence von Rosen, who was also the namesake of the until 2000, when his involvement were revealed in National Socialism, awarded Master Cup. The sometimes best known chairman of the Swedish National Association is Lennart Johansson, whose name adorns the successor Cup. Between 1985 and 1990 he managed the affairs of the Sports Association until he was elected to the top of UEFA. He was succeeded by Lars -Åke Lagrell, who heads the Association to this day.
History
In the 1870s, the game of football came from the UK to Sweden, which first led to the taking place in almost all European countries factional dispute between association football and rugby to play according to different rules.
On May 22, 1892 came on the sports field Balder Hage for the first game, which was founded in the 1880s Gothenburg clubs IS Lyckans Soldater and Örgryte IS against each other. The game, which Örgryte IS 1-0 beating off, is considered the first football game after the association rules between two Swedish teams.
Founded in 1895 in Gothenburg Sports Association Svenska Idrottsförbundet the football teams also joined. This organized from 1896 Svenska Mästerskapet, their first championship Örgryte IS won by a 3-0 win over IS Idrottens Vänner. After the founding of the Svenska Fotbollförbundet as special Football Association 1904 to date discharged championships were retroactively recognized. In parallel, several competitions such as the Rosenska cups or Kamratmästerskapen had established itself as the championship Idrottsföreningen Kamraterna.
By 1924, the Swedish champion was determined in preliminary tournaments and in the following season, there was the first time a Allsvenskan ( Swedish first league). Already ten years earlier, regional leagues were formed. Until the late 1950s the name Allsvenskan (total Swedish) but did not meet the standard practice. So teams from the far north of the country and the island of Gotland, the rise from lower leagues was denied because established clubs did not want to take the long journey way up.
For women, a Swedish champion was determined from 1973 and since 1988 there is a first league Damallsvenskan.
National
The Swedish national team came in 1908 in their first international match, which was won by Norway with 11:3. The first success was winning the bronze medal at the Olympic Games in 1924. During World Cup tournament in Italy in 1934 the national team for the first time took part in a World Cup.
At the Olympic Games in 1948 succeeded the national team of the largest to date success when the gold medal was won. This title introduced the most successful era of country selection: At the World Cup in 1950 as well as at the Olympic Games in 1952, the third rank and the World Championship Tournament 1958 in their own country they succeeded in reaching the final, which was lost against Brazil. The discharged since 1924 Nordic Championships Sweden also came 1933-1977 to nine successes in series.
After the national team between 1960 and 1980 could only irregularly qualify for big tournaments, she experienced a renaissance in the 1990s. At the European Championship tournament in 1992 in their own country they first participated in a European Championship and failed only in the semi-finals. Two years later succeeded in the 1994 World Cup the same result, and in the final game for the third place in Bulgaria was defeated. While the national team missed the 1998 World Cup, the European Championship since 2000, she participated in every major tournament - the five consecutive tournaments provide for the Swedish national record dar.
Women
The Swedish women's national team came in 1974 for their first international match, which was won against Finland. The first success came in 1977 at the triumph of the Nordic Championship after the selection was previously finished second three times. Until 1981 get five hits in a row.
The Swedish women's national team in 1984 took part in the inaugural European Championship and won the European Championship competition in the playoffs against England on penalties for itself. Also for the following tournaments the national team could qualify regularly.
At the World Championship Tournament 1991, the Swedish selection for the first time took part in a World Cup and reached the semi-finals, in which they failed to Norway. By a subsequent victory over Germany she reached the third place. In the 1996 Olympics, in which a women's football tournament was held for the first time, the team failed in the preliminary round. In the following years the team regularly participated in final tournaments of both competitions.
At the European Championships, the Swedish selection was three second places and earn a silver medal at the 2003 World Cup. Greatest success in the Olympics was the fourth place at the Olympic Games in 2004, when the team lost the match for third place Germany. Since the introduction of an international ranking was conducted in recent years in positions four through seven.
Today, the Swedish women's national team is among the best teams in the world.
The League System
History
The Swedish league system was reformed in the course of history several times. While the national championship was first played in the Cup mode, established in parallel from 1910 with a series Svenska first national league. This was in 1924 in the Allsvenskan on. After the abolition of the Cup championship in 1925 and 1930 there was no official championship title before the title award was introduced to the table first to Allsvenskan end of the season. In the early years of the foundation of this championship was dismembered and regional teams from the north were excluded from the higher leagues - long journeys at the time were too uneconomical. All Swedish clubs in the access to the higher leagues until 1953 was allowed.
In 1981, the second division was reduced to a season in addition to the single track first league. Between 1982 and 1990, the Master was played in the play-off games after the regular championship. Then in 1991, the league system was reformed again fundamentally. The championship was divided after 18 match days in the first division. The best six teams played in league form from the master and the participants in the international competitions, while the poorer teams with the best second division teams battled for the other places in the League in the coming season. The second division was divided in to four seasons, with the respective champions qualified for the round of decisions to the first league.
However, this system lasted only two seasons. Subsequently, the championship was again played out in a comprehensive 14-team league, while the second league was divided into two squadrons. After the end of the 1999, these two squadrons were combined so that since the first two leagues are each single track again. In the last reform in 2005 these classes were unaffected. The third leagues were summarized from four to two seasons and in the more unterklassigen regional leagues, there were other changes. From the season 2008, the Allsvenskan was expanded by two teams, so that the first two leagues each comprising 16 teams.
Current Leagues pyramid
Valid from 2008
The current champion denies qualifiers for the UEFA Champions League, also sends the Allsvenskan next to the Cup Winners' Cup, two representatives in the qualifying rounds of the UEFA Europa League.
Damallsvenskan
1973 established himself in Sweden, a first national championship. At the time, the finalists were determined initially in regional leagues, the playing off the title in the Cup mode.
In 1988, the Swedish Football Association, the Damallsvenskan as a highest league in the Swedish women's football. It was played in a comprehensive single-track twelve teams first league. The four teams placed first and foremost played in the play-off mode, then the title. From the season 1993 play-off games were bought and named the leaders on the last matchday to master before for the seasons 1998 and 1999 for a short time the old mode was reintroduced. Since the UEFA Women 's Cup launch in 2001, the master of taking part in this competition.
The Damallsvenskan applies not only to the German Bundesliga, one of the strongest leagues in the world. The audience figures Damallsvenskan are the highest in Europe.