It may be Gothenburg’s salvation: hope lives on

Of: Anton Johansson, Emelie Fredriksson

Published: December 29, 2020 at 11:44 p.m.
Updated: Dec 30, 2020 at 1:28 a.m.

Photo: MICHAEL ERICHSEN / BILDBYRÅN

Do the reigning champions hope to continue existing?

Following the announcement that the elite Kopparberg / Gothenburg operations will go to the grave, reactions have been strong.

But there are alternatives to rescue.

– I imagine that we can come together in a merger together with several investors, says Priority Finance President Nils Wiberg to SVT.

Kopparbergs / Göteborg shut down its elite operations after a board decision despite the team winning the Swedish Championship gold just over a month ago.

The club has turned to the MAQS law firm to solve in the best possible way the situation of the affected players in the club. But attorney Carl Fhager also talks about a parallel track where they could find a larger partnership and thus create a new suit for the business, which he first told GP.

– What I reasoned a little more hypothetically in GP is not a transfer of rights. It is that the club that has the right changes its name. Then it becomes less dramatic. That name change has yet to be approved by the union’s board, says Fhager.

Early stage

Carl Fhager believes that they have not gotten that far in their work because it is very new and there is still no contact with another club.

– We don’t even know if this will be the case and we don’t know which association would be relevant, but we have to look at it in detail if it is possible in that case.

Is it simply a direct name change even though another association still joins the club?

– Yes, exactly. In that case, you may be able to merge in a year or two over time, as has happened in the past. Then you have to apply the regulations on how it should be done.

How would a name change help the situation?

– This is at a very early stage. In that case, it is part of a package where you have a deeper cooperative agreement regarding facilities, training facilities, and more.

Is the most likely scenario to find a new investor and thus keep Göteborg FC?

– I don’t guess what is most likely or not. Without working on parallel tracks. But this is not an economic problem. It is not the case that Kopparberg / Gothenburg has large losses. It’s about finding a stronger solution for women’s football in the long term. That’s what we work for. At the same time, the players who are now at the club are held accountable, says Fhager.

The big sponsor wants to save the club

If you listen to the club’s main sponsor, Priority Finance, there is a great desire to save the club. President Nils Wiberg does not want to see Damallsvenskan 2021 with teams from Stockholm and Skåne and nothing from Gothenburg.

Wiberg tells SVT that he has received many calls during the day from all possible directions and that many are interested in sponsoring.

– I imagine that we can join in a merger together with several investors, he tells SVT.

He believes that there are opportunities for change but that they have not yet had time to discuss anything concrete.

– The answer is yes. But it depends on the constellation. A lot can happen in the next few days, says Wiberg.

Published: December 29, 2020 at 11:44 p.m.

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