Swedish Federation denounces threats against players and staff after defeat by Kosovo
Express newspaper
10/09/2025 19:16
Sweden has had a difficult start to their 2026 World Cup qualifiers. After a 2-2 draw with Slovenia, the Swedish national team suffered a surprising 2-0 defeat to Kosovo on Monday at the Fadil Vokrri Stadium in Pristina.
The unexpected defeat has sparked a backlash in Sweden, with some fans using social media to attack the national team’s players and officials. The comments have ranged from threats to racist abuse, forcing the Swedish Football Association to take action.
The Swedish Federation will turn to the police
On September 18, the Swedish Federation identified some of the commentators involved and decided to report them to the police.
“There are many comments that cross the line, but not all of them are automatically punishable. However, a number of them constitute illegal threats and harassment,” Martin Fredman, the Federation’s security manager, told Fotbollskanalen.
He added that the published threats have affected players and staff.
“It is an unlawful threat when you threaten someone in a way that causes them to be afraid or feel hurt. This includes threats to someone’s life or the desire to harm someone.”
Racism will not be tolerated.
The Swedish Football Association has also reported that one of the players was the victim of racial abuse on social media. “We will look into this case and take it forward,” Fredman said. “We take any act of racism and incitement against ethnic groups very seriously.”
Fredman declined to identify the players or staff involved, adding:
“It’s been directed in different directions, so I don’t want to name names. But we have analyzed the federation’s accounts, as well as those of the players and coaches.”
Upcoming encounters
Following these incidents, Sweden will look to return its focus to football. The Swedish national team will host Switzerland on October 10 in Solna and Kosovo on October 13 in Gothenburg as part of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
The Swedish Federation emphasizes that the safety and protection of players remains a priority, and that threats or racial insults towards staff and the national team will not be tolerated. /GazetaExpress/