The Algerian supporters were many and were heard best at the Strawberry arena in the national team match on Tuesday evening, something the Swedish players were immediately aware of.
When you play in Sweden, you want the majority to be Swedish fans because we play at home. I want to see a lot of yellow-clad spectators, says Anton Salétros.
Here are the national team's depressing attendance figures at the national arena in the three most recent home matches:
+ 10,127 against Azerbaijan in November.
+ 14,147 against Northern Ireland in March.
+ 15,148 against Algeria on Tuesday.
“It's what it is”
This gives an average of 13,141 spectators. The argument that the entertainment is mediocre hardly holds. The national team has set up for goal festivals and won the matches with 6–0, 5–1, 4–3. Moreover, the national team made good advertising for its product through the 2–0 win against Budapest on Friday.
It's what it is. We can only see to it that we play good football so that more people want to come here. Hopefully, it will start in the fall when the matches mean more, says Hugo Larsson.
Alexander Bernhardsson is on the same line.
It's just a matter of continuing like this, so people will come. Of course, you want more Swedish supporters to come and fill the arena in every match, but it will hopefully start in the fall, he says.
Anton Salétros is used to completely different spectator experiences when he plays for AIK at the Strawberry arena. So far in this year's five Allsvenskan home matches, the club has averaged 34,050.
We wish that the Swedish people would come and watch us, especially when we have played quite entertaining football. No one can think it's boring when the match ends 4–3?
Now, not all the biggest players are here, but we actually have world-class players here and many young players that it should be fun to come and watch, says Salétros.
Qualifiers in Gothenburg
What should the football association do to attract more spectators?
If I had known that, maybe I would have been the association's CEO. Maybe market more, try to engage more people and draw attention to the matches more. One hopes that interest can be turned up when it becomes tournament matches.
The association is not sitting with its hands in its pockets. In an attempt to increase interest in the national team, the World Championship qualifier against Kosovo on October 13 is relocated to Ullevi.
The national team will play a tournament match in Gothenburg for the first time in 16 years.
September 5: Slovenia–Sweden (Ljubljana, 20.45)
September 8: Kosovo–Sweden (Pristina, 20.45)
October 10: Sweden–Switzerland (Solna, 20.45)
October 13: Sweden–Kosovo (Gothenburg, 20.45)
November 15: Switzerland–Sweden (Geneva, 20.45)
November 18: Sweden–Slovenia (Solna, 20.45)
