Carlnén will take up his new position on January 19, 2026. He will continue as Malmö FF's CEO until then, and in the meantime, Tobias Tibell will remain as acting Secretary General.
The 53-year-old Niclas Carlnén is entering a federation that looks back on a few turbulent years, where heavy criticism has been directed at the work environment. One of those who was criticized was the former Secretary General Andrea Möllerberg, who was fired in early 2025.
”Great empathetic ability”
Carlnén will now try to create order in the Swedish Football Association (SvFF) together with Simon Åström, who in the spring took over as chairman after the former Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt.
What we have been looking for and which has been leading is that we have placed leadership very high up. In Niclas, we have found very many of the qualities we have been looking for, says Simon Åström.
He is analytical, good at putting himself into complex situations and organizations, and he has clear leadership with the courage to make decisions. But also a great empathetic ability.
The future Secretary General says that his first job will be to get to know the SvFF organization, and only after that "do something of his own".
It is an incredibly great honor to receive the trust. Football, the biggest sport in Sweden, has an incredible power in society, it is a real societal bearer.
But for me, it's about understanding the organization, where are we and how do we solve the task? And that I get that picture before I say what the next step is, says Niclas Carlnén.
Abstains from commenting
He, however, has no great desire to review the stormy time that has been in the federation.
If I am to comment on that, I do so on facts that may not be correct, so I gladly abstain from it. Come back in six months and I will tell you how it is then.
Carlnén announced last summer that he will leave as CEO of Malmö FF at the turn of the year. The 53-year-old came to MFF in 2014 and was previously club director in the Damallsvenskan team Rosengård for several years.
