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Johannesson was active as one of Sweden’s most deserving judges. In 2018, he secured the position of full-time chief referee at the Swedish Football Association.
The past year was buzzing with a series of high-profile refereeing efforts that were widely reported in the media. Compared to what happened in the Allsvenskan plans this year, but mainly outside, there were Western fans.
– It has been a super different year. “I’ve had to take a lot of things that don’t belong in football,” says Johannesson.
Some events have shaken on the elite judiciary.
● The first originated last season, when profiled referee Martin Strömbergsson made a comment during the match that Östersund goalkeeper Aly Keita found offensive. Keita reproduced what was said in a podcast this year. Following an investigation, Strömbergsson was suspended for a year.
● Last summer, a judge was caught stealing a baking machine from a department store. The same judge has been suspected of serious fraud and is under police investigation for some time. It has also emerged that the referee, who has refereed several games during the season, is addicted to the game.
● In late summer, a judge convicted of sexual harassment was suspended.
For a football club where the demands for impeccable behavior are high, scandals have consequences. Recently, work has begun to create an updated and more comprehensive code of conduct for judges.
– There are many involved, including lawyers. It also refers to issues of discrimination and gender equality. The objective is to produce a code of conduct so that we obtain in black and white what is applied, the limits between what is private and what affects you as a judge. The idea is that there should be a clear and material approach almost finished by the end of the month from January to February, when courses and continuing education begin, says Stefan Johannesson.
– We do not know exactly how it will be designed, it is a job that has just begun. It is not just common sense, there are legal aspects involved. What can we achieve and what cannot we do? Police excerpt, what is allowed and what is not? And what does it show? If a judge drives too fast and gets stuck at a police checkpoint, it has nothing to do with his suitability as a judge. But there may be other aspects that determine suitability and we are looking at that, continues the referee base.
Johannesson also hopes that the dialogue with the clubs will be closer.
– This year we have introduced a cooperation council in which I am involved and some representatives of the clubs, just to bring up things like this when conflicts arise. The clubs have the opportunity to express their opinions and we have ours. The idea is that we will get to something that does not lead to a media shootout.
– Clubs sometimes feel that it is closed, that we have a wall around us and that they cannot argue. That is why we started this advice.
So far, only two have Digital meetings have been held.
“Unfortunately, it has dropped a bit due to the pandemic,” says Johannesson.
He sees the close game as an explanation for the referees who often focus during the season.
– It seems like it has been much more this year, but we play up to three games a week. So it seems like a lot more is happening all the time. But if you look at the statistics, it is not like that. It is rather the case that many things happen close to each other due to the compressed game program.
How has the pandemic affected your judges?
– It has affected a lot. The workload of the judges has been completely absurd. They referee two, three games a week and there are no flights but they are allowed to drive. It has been a difficult year for the players, but also for the referees.
Read more:
He suspended the elite referee for addiction to soccer
Strömbergsson suspension brackets: “boring”
