It can be about pressure to achieve a certain match result, or to get a player transfer through.
But also about trying to get rid of a coach or leader within the club after sporting setbacks.
Different forms of unauthorized influence on sports clubs are a real problem, states Per Engström, who is section chief at the police's national operational department (Noa).
This hatred and threats have grown in society at large, but not least in football and especially in the big clubs, he says.
A current example is IFK Göteborg, which has had to struggle in the lower half of the men's Allsvenskan table in recent seasons.
Threats and Harassment
This has led to a lot of dissatisfaction with, among others, club director Håkan Mild. But also direct threats, which has led to the club making a police report ahead of Thursday's annual meeting.
"Direct and indirect threats and harassment have been directed at individuals in their work for IFK Göteborg, to prevent them from performing their duties", wrote "Blåvitt" on its website on Sunday.
Threats and similar situations around other big clubs have led the police to call a meeting with the Swedish Sports Confederation and the Swedish Football Association for a meeting on Friday.
We want to hear what they think they will do about these situations, says Per Engström.
We have for a fairly long time tried to inform that there is an influence on our clubs and that there are connections to various types of criminal networks.
"Large Culture of Silence"
He welcomes IFK Göteborg's police report at the same time.
I think that if we have a club that now dares to stand up for this, then more can follow, he says.
Lena Sahlin, security officer at the Swedish Sports Confederation (RF), is one of those who will be present at Friday's meeting.
We have previously established that there is a large culture of silence in these issues. But also a normalization, that the boundaries for what is acceptable have been exceeded for a long time, she says.
In the long run, it is a threat to association democracy, she points out.
It is important to cooperate with the police and to actually report to the police when the boundaries have been exceeded. At the same time, one must have respect for the fact that exposed individuals are hesitant to report to the police.
