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The reason for the decision is that right now, due to the corona pandemic, unnecessary travel to Sweden from countries other than the EU is prohibited. The regulation does not make an exception for elite football and therefore it has now been decided that the match must move.
SvFF General Secretary Håkan Sjöstrand is very critical.
– Unfortunately, we are forced to move the party against Russia because we have not received any message from the government yet, despite the fact that we already sent a letter on August 27. I do not understand why it is not possible to grant an exemption from the entry ban to elite footballers, in the same way that other professions have done. The rigorous protocols of international soccer, and the control, testing and isolation requirements, mean that entry of these people will carry a significantly lower risk of spreading the infection compared to other permitted occupational categories. We are very disappointed that we couldn’t even get a message, says Sjöstrand in a comment.
The game will be played on October 8, starting at 6.30 p.m. Swedish time.
Just a week ago, the Football Channel contacted the press secretary of the Interior Minister, Mikael Damberg, Per Strängberg. This after SvFF asked the government to find a solution. He then replied that the matter was being investigated.
“The Swedish Football Association’s request for an exemption from the entry ban is now being prepared in government offices. At the same time, an EU-level discussion is taking place on how to handle this particular category of travelers and we will see where those discussions end. These are fully in line with the EU’s recommendations on how the entry ban should be designed, “Stränberg wrote in an email.
After the match against Russia, two Nations League matches await Blågult. Traveling to Croatia on October 11 and back to Portugal three days later.
