Sweden appoints national coordinator to
Photo: Anders Wiklund/TT

Sweden appoints national coordinator to tackle crime in sports

The government is appointing a national coordinator to combat crime and serious disturbances linked to sports. Sports should be a safe place and not an arena for crime. No child should be at risk of coming into contact with criminals, says Minister for Social Affairs Jakob Forssmed, who is also responsible for sports issues, at a press conference.

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The government has appointed the former Director General of the Swedish Prison and Probation Service, Martin Holmgren, as national coordinator. The idea is that Holmgren will work to improve coordination between relevant authorities and stakeholders in sports.

Holmgren will identify obstacles and shortcomings in current work and submit suggestions for improvement. The assignment includes combating the impact of organised crime on sports.

It could be about money laundering, match-fixing or problems in the agent industry, says Jakob Forssmed.

But the new role will also work to prevent chaos in connection with matches.

The coordinator will also work to reduce conflicts during top-flight football matches, and this includes working with pyrotechnics under current legislation and practice.

Martin Holmgren will start the job on October 1 and will report to the government no later than November 30, 2027.

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AuthorTT News AgencyEnglish edition by Sweden Herald, adapted for our readers
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