Peter Bronsman explains decision to shut down Kopparberg’s elite operations

Of: Emelie Fredriksson

Published: December 29, 2020 at 7:18 p.m.
Updated: December 29, 2020 at 7:48 p.m.

He has made a decision that shocked all of Swedish football.

Sportbladet has spoken to former Kopparbergs / Göteborgs president Peter Bronsman to try to get an answer to the question why.

– It is clear that you become impressionable when you go out and see the other teams in Europe, it is no secret. But it’s not just that, says Bronsman.

Peter Bronsman is not only the president of the club that won the Swedish Championship gold just over a month ago, but also the CEO of the cider company Kopparbergs, which as the name suggests is the club’s main sponsor.

After two decades in command, shocking news came that the junta had decided to end its elite operations in Kopparberg / Gothenburg.

Does it feel like a very sudden message to everyone else?

– I think that this type of decision comes suddenly, especially when nobody expects it. No one knew about this, or very few people.

The board has been simmering for the longest time, and Bronsman goes back several times on how events in Gothenburg and Europe have affected the decision.

– We have been involved for so long and we have done very well in Gothenburg, but we have played our role a little closely. You shouldn’t be running women’s football in 2021, it’s wrong to think. The club must include both ladies and gentlemen. Now is the right time, we have delivered on what we promised, we have created great interest in Gothenburg, and the big men’s clubs have started women’s teams. I was in contact with IFK, for example, a few years ago and asked if we would do something. But they refused and want to do things their way, which must be respected. If we walk away later, they will have much better power of action. I think we can only become a brake pad in Gothenburg.

Photo: NICKLAS ELMRIN / BILDBYRÅN

Peter bronsman

But are the other clubs in Gothenburg far from your level?

– Yes, there we are a bit in episode 22, I agree with you on that. But if we continue, we won’t give them a chance either. We will slow down no matter what others say. Now they have to take over. We cannot give the same conditions to our girls as to other teams. And if we are going to continue in the Champions League, I don’t want to defend him if we can’t offer the same conditions as them and we can never afford that. Then we have to join one of the big teams and access their training facilities and so on.

Why do you pretend to be the best in the Champions League and not remain the best in Sweden? You are now.

– The conditions will not be fair anyway. I want the Kopparberg girls to have the same training conditions and opportunities. It may not have to be Manchester City, but Benfica or Porto. Otherwise, the difference will be even greater and we don’t want to be part of it. City started in 2013 and if we had known them a few years ago we would have won 8-0 but today it is almost the other way around.

In early December you talked about your future goals in the Champions League. How did the situation suddenly become completely different?

– The goals disappeared a bit when we went out. It is clear that you become impressionable when you go out and see the other teams in Europe, it is no secret. But it’s not just that. Now the Allsvenskan teams have started women’s teams and we must make the right decision for the future.

When did the board make the decision? The feeling is that it must have gone fast considering you’ve recently recruited and expanded with players?

– No decision is made when it is made. You also want to be sure of such an important decision. We haven’t been super active, but we expanded two players and brought in one. So I felt that we had to do it to give them security with a contract as well. I don’t think we’ve pinned it for any player. So it’s very sad that we recruited a player, of course, but he had some other reasons as well.

What were the reasons?

– It may be that we promised it at an early stage, but I never want to comment on individual players. So it’s the same there, we also assume all our responsibility there.

The club recruited Johanna Rytting Kaneryd from FC Rosengård and expanded with key players Filippa Curmark and Jennifer Falk.

Doesn’t it feel like you’ve tricked them into doing something that was doomed from the start?

– You can never look to the future. If we had known, we would have made other decisions. But no decision was made and if we hadn’t done something we would have put them on the glue. We absolutely didn’t want that. We now have 17 team contracts and have hired a law firm to provide the best possible terms.

Couldn’t you handle the ending in that better way for the sake of the players?

– I do not think so. The time is never good to make certain decisions, but they still need to be made. I feel so sorry for our girls, my stomach hurts so much that I feel sorry for them. They are fantastic as players and people, but sometimes you have to make awkward decisions as president and they don’t always like you. Sure, today will be dark and negative but in the long run it will be good for everyone, of that I am convinced.

Have you done everything you can to maintain elite investment?

– We don’t think we can do this ourselves. We have run this association for 20 years and we have not been in and out. We really take responsibility and support women’s and women’s football. We are now absolutely confident that we have made the right decision and the board agrees. It is the only correct decision if we want to develop Swedish women’s football.

What role does the economy play?

– The finances of an association are always important. But the most important thing is that this is the right decision for the future. The joy for us, for me and for our sponsors is that we have managed to create players, give back to young players and show that it is actually possible to play elite football in Gothenburg with quite small funds. And he will return, I am convinced. But if we don’t make this decision now, we will be forced to do so later.

Today, many people have increased the risk of a club sitting on a sponsor’s lap like Gothenburg does. How do you look at it?

– Or it’s a security. We are the association that has found the same government for the longest time. I think that can also be an advantage. If we can’t have justice between boys and girls, I don’t think it matters who the sponsor is. This is not a short-term financial decision. Sure, it’s also about money. If we could have built our own facilities, which we cannot afford, it would have been a different situation, but now the situation is not like that.

What are you going to spend your money on instead?

– The club is still there and we have our activity. As long as we do good, the club will remain.

A team that won the Swedish Championship gold a few weeks ago is retiring. What does it say to those who still cannot understand it?

– You should always think ahead. The gold of the Swedish Championship goes to a handful of very talented players who really deserve it. So everyone who plays sports knows that you always look ahead. I think it is irresponsible to run an association when the girls do not have the same conditions. I have to think about all the footballers who will come in the future and not just in the present. I believe for many years to come and I am convinced that SEF and EFD should be one organization, period, and that clubs should be clubs for everyone. So maybe not everyone agrees with me on that.

Published: December 29, 2020 at 7:18 p.m.

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