Rosengård's Match Rescheduling Request Faces Crucial Decision

The competition committee is considering very carefully what consequences the decision may have in the long run, says Axel Fägerhall, group manager in the competition group at the football association.

Rosengård's decision to accept a spot in the new and lucrative seven-a-side tournament World Sevens, which is not sanctioned by the European Football Association (Uefa), has created a conflict in Swedish women's football.

The Swedish Football Association received a request from Rosengård on Thursday, wanting to move the Damallsvenskan match against Häcken, scheduled one day after the tournament's end, from May 24 to May 25. Something the Gothenburg club does not want.

Even series-leading Hammarby has reacted to Rosengård's decision.

We think it's directly unserious, Hammarby's technical director Adrian von Heijne has said to Aftonbladet.

Considering carefully

The ball is now with the competition committee - where a decision on a match move can imply new practice.

They (the competition committee) are considering very carefully what consequences the decision may have in the long run, says Axel Fägerhall.

The competition committee will handle the matter as "soon as possible".

The main rule is that the associations should be in agreement for the move to become current.

Not making an assessment

Besides Häcken's opinion, the association is taking into account, among other things, the views of the central organization Elite Football Women (EFW).

Our approach is to let this process have its course, in line with how we always handle questions about, for example, match moves. Then in our Swedish model, each club is sovereign in how they want to act based on that. So we're not making any assessment of Rosengård's decision, says Fredrik Stengarn, acting general secretary in EFW.

EFW is following the matter closely, not least because the situation is "something new that has come up on the table".

The national team plays

The committee will also consider that the Swedish national team meets in the Nations League less than a week after the potentially new match date, something that has affected Häcken's stance on the issue.

If they have those objections, it will weigh heavily with regard to the overall picture, says Axel Fägerhall.

If the committee says no to a match move, Rosengård can appeal and even propose other dates. If not, the meeting with Häcken will be played on May 24.

World Sevens is decided in Portuguese Estoril on May 21-23 and among the other teams are Bayern Munich and Manchester United.