The association has “for several years had difficulty creating a financial model that can finance its operations in the long term,” the board writes on the club’s website.
IK Uppsala is an independent women’s football club, and the board also highlights the challenges posed by so-called dual clubs when announcing its decision.
Six dual clubs
“Much of what drove women’s football forward for a long time was built outside the major football organizations, in associations where women’s football did not have to ask for space because it was the main activity. Now we see how more and more established associations are investing in girls’ and women’s football.”
There are currently six clubs with teams in both the men’s and women’s Swedish leagues. For example, Malmö FF restarted its women’s team in Division 4 for the 2020 season and is now playing in the top league for the second year in a row.
“While independent women’s associations have largely had to build and finance their own facilities, established clubs can develop women’s football as part of a significantly larger operation,” the board writes.
Losing 24 million kronor?
Uncertainty over how much central funding the association will receive next season is also cited as a reason. The clubs’ interest group, Elite Football Women (EFD), has lost two major sponsors: main sponsor Svenska Spel and Damallsvenskan’s title sponsor OBOS.
According to SVT, the agreements with the two sponsors have brought women’s football 24 million kronor (about $2.3 million) a year. There is also no agreement on television broadcasts of the Swedish women’s national team next season.
Uppsala have won only one match this season and have a total of six points, with five matches left to play. The team is a full 12 points short of qualifying.
