The number of serious disturbances has decreased compared to 2024, according to the police's monitoring of disturbances in elite football.
This is mainly due to the fact that we are seeing a reduced number of violent incidents in the arenas, says Thérese Rosengren to TT.
However, the number of events with an "elevated to serious order situation" has increased by about 20 percent. But that includes other crimes.
The basis for this increase is illegal pyrotechnics and masking. It is very clear to us that this is an issue that we must continue to work on together with the football stakeholders, says Rosengren.
The exclusion strategy
She highlights the exclusion strategy, where individuals who commit crimes are identified and prosecuted or banned from arenas, as an explanation for the development.
It replaced what was called the conditions ladder, which leaned towards collective punishment and increased friction with the supporter collective.
We have a good dialogue now, says Rosengren, who took office last fall.
Per Eliasson, head of security at the clubs' interest organization Swedish Elite Football, says in a press release that the positive trend "shows that the exclusion strategy is the right way to go in the long term."
In 2025, 122 events, i.e. matches, reached an elevated or serious security situation (level 4–6 on a six-point scale), according to the police classification.
In just under half of the 122 events, the organizer failed to comply with the terms and conditions of the event.
Insufficient search
In these cases, it is mainly a matter of insufficient patrolling of the stadiums, both by spectators at the match and in the days before, when supporters are allowed in to prepare for the match.
Thérese Rosengren says that clubs have sought support from the police regarding training in visitation.
Of course, we want to support the clubs in this work.
But is any such training being done now?
I can't say if it's done everywhere in Sweden, but in different regions and linked to different clubs, it absolutely is.
In terms of attendance, 2025 was a successful year, with record attendances in the Allsvenskan and Superettan. However, in the last elite match of the year, the Allsvenskan qualifiers, a low point was reached when spectators in Norrköping threw pyrotechnics that set the pitch on fire.
It's sad to end like that, says Rosengren.
The police's assessment scale for disturbances at events is six-point, where level four is "high disorder" with multiple disturbances or crimes. Levels five and six are considered "serious disorder", where there are often several different types of crimes at the same time.
In 2025, 122 matches reached level four or higher. Of these, 37 took place in the Stockholm police region, 33 in the West and 27 in the South.
2024: 99 matches in the country reached level four or higher. 2023: 124 matches.
Looking only at level five, serious disorder, the statistics are:
2025: 13 matches. 2024: 16 matches. 2023: 22 matches.
Level six has not been reached in these three years.
Source: Police
