Internal investigations are the new black.
Something for companies and unions, political parties and various organizations to take action when it starts to smoke and rumors that someone has done something seriously wrong.
Internal investigations are like football’s cooling spray.
A miracle solution for the business to get started quickly and continue as usual. It tells the outside world as little as possible about what the problem is.
If SVT Sport had not done a good journalistic job and revealed how a manager within the Swedish Football Association (SvFF) had acted in a dubious way, to say the least, the scandal might have remained unknown. Hardly even the employees and operatives within the union had received the information.
No external investigation had been ordered. It only happened after SVT’s reporting.
And there had been absolutely no police report (as the one on Friday) unless SVT and also Fotbollskanalen found lots of question marks about how SvFF’s money was handled.
Someone at the Swedish Football Association should have reported the manager to the police early. The issue not only needs to be sorted out externally but also examined legally.
Basically, it’s about trust in how this great union works.
Now, instead, the obvious suspicion is created that an internal investigation would sweep the scandal under the rug.
The largest sports federations has a strange position in Swedish society.
They turn over large sums but have no profit requirements as companies in the business world. They affect many people but have no requirements for publicity such as municipal, regional and state activities.
Therefore, sports federations are extra difficult to review.
And therefore, even greater demands can, should and should be placed on the self-examination of sports federations than other organizations.
Therefore, SvFF should have reported this incident to the police a long time ago. Now, instead, the obvious suspicion is created that an internal investigation would sweep the scandal under the rug.
History severely damages the management of SvFF. No late and outspoken police report can change that.
In the present case, this has happened:
Last winter, a tip came to the Swedish Football Association. This led to an internal investigation showing that a person with a high position without approval allowed financial support to go to his own association. It was first alleged that it was SEK 400,000.
But in an email from SvFF’s chairman Karl-Erik Nilsson, which I read, it says that it was about 570,000 kronor (others in the union say in interviews that it is about 560,000 kronor). The money has been paid back and comes from “Everyone is different – different is good”. A project that will work for equality and inclusion in football.
– The Football Association kept the reason why the manager had to quit secret – both internally and externally. Before SVT made its revelation.
Photo: Petter Arvidson / Bildbyrån
The person who granted the aid was thanked this summer on SvFF’s intranet for his great commitment and wished good luck. Nowhere did it say that (or why) the person was forced to quit. The information was kept in a small circle.
It was only when SVT Sport on September 7 revealed the irregularities around the person that the news became known internally and externally.
– There is no doubt that this is an erroneous and indiscriminate behavior, said Andreas Jansson, communications manager at the Swedish Football Association.
How should large sponsors want to support large unions with large sums if there is poor control over how the money is used and little transparency?
Not even Ica had learned, despite the company investing SEK 13.5 million in the project “Everyone is different – different is good” between 2016 and 2020. Now the company is stopping further payments pending the external investigation.
And the General Heritage Fund, which has contributed approximately SEK 9 million to basic work in football associations, has started its own investigation to find out how the fund’s money has been used by SvFF.
It needs. According to both Fotbollskanalen and SVT, there is information that the former manager used money from the inheritance fund incorrectly. Not just the described money from “Everyone is different…”.
The event creates this question:
How should large sponsors want to support large unions with large sums if there is poor control over how the money is used and little transparency?
At the same time, this story shows another growing problem in Swedish sports.
In a contrast that may seem strange to the lack of transparency at the top, the requirement for reporting at the bottom increases.
The already stifling bureaucracy and the cracking paperwork are increasing for non-profit leaders who slipped into an association precisely because they wanted to be non-profit sports leaders.
That it has become like this is due to different sports federations launching different projects to get more money into the business. The money is conditional and therefore even more accurate reporting is required for money that will flow down and out into the daily activities and be used to enable young people to play sports.
– The Swedish Football Association’s chairman Karl-Erik Nilsson and general secretary Håkan Sjöstrand during a match in Qatar.
Photo: Jonas Ekströmer / TT
Finally: For the pressured general secretary Håkan Sjöstrand, the current story is another heavy blow.
A few weeks ago, he was the one who fronted the crazy and totally deafening idea that the men’s national team planned to go to another winter camp in Qatar.
In addition, the reporting on “Everyone is different-money” is embedded in anonymous testimonies about misconduct and a culture of silence within the Swedish Football Association.
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