MATHIAS BERGELD / imago images / Bildbyran
Cynicism is so nineties: The Degerfors fans stay sporty
“In Degerfors there is no shame to be a communist.” That was how Joakim, a member of the left-wing Ultras Rossobianco, judged as young welt spoke to him a year ago. The occasion was a modern football fairy tale: Degerfors IF, the football club in the steel town with 7,000 inhabitants, had returned to Allsvenskan, the highest division in Swedish football, after 23 years. In the early 2000s, none other than Sven-Göran “Svennis” Eriksson prophesied that the club would be relegated to the amateur leagues. The family structures are not up to modern football. Eriksson, England’s team boss for many years, had once started his coaching career in Degerfors. The fans were unimpressed. “Svennis, you are wrong: the future belongs to us!” They wrote on a banner.
In Sweden, the football season still follows the calendar year due to the long winter. Hardly anyone gave Degerfors IF a chance in the first division. In fact, the first two games were lost in mid-April. But then there were wins against IFK Göteborg, title contender Djurgården IF and local rivals IFK Örebro. After nine laps, Degerfors was fifth. It was the culmination of a season that was like a roller coaster ride. Ten games followed, in which the team scored exactly one point. Suddenly you found yourself on the relegation site.
The reasons are difficult to determine. Bad luck, dubious referee decisions and the loss of a top performer. Goalkeeper Ismael Diawara replaced reserve keeper Marko Johansson who had migrated to HSV in Malmö. A short time later, Diawara made his debut in the Champions League.
Meanwhile his former colleagues in Degerfors managed to break free. A 2-1 win against AIK Stockholm started a series of four games with ten points at the end of September. One lap before the end they caught up with Halmstads BK in terms of points. Before the last match day on Saturday, 13th place was within easy reach. Halmstad had by far the better goal difference.
Nevertheless, the starting position was not bad for Degerfors. While you even took the bottom of the table and relegated Östersunds FK, Halmstad had to go to the front runner Malmö FF. Malmö needed one more point to secure the title again.
The games started at the same time – and nothing happened. What was happening was nervousness. The break was 0-0, in Malmö and Östersund. Then the same picture. Degerfors had game advantages, but was hardly dangerous. Malmö managed the draw. Should Degerfors really just remain relegation?
In the 87th minute, the steel townspeople were awarded a corner kick again. With a weak shot, the ball landed in the penalty area, there was a poke, and Johan Bertilsson, one of the heroes of the promotion, slammed the ball from a few meters under the crossbar. Cheering in the snowstorm. Nothing happens in Malmö despite eight minutes of stoppage time.
For the chairman of Degerfors IF, Fredrik Rakar, this outcome was no surprise. When the young world reached on Friday, he was already planning for the upcoming first division season. And not just that. Now they want to establish themselves in the Allsvenskan. “This season was an apprenticeship year. Now we know how things are going. “Rakar spoke of a” football puritanism “that separates Degerfors from the competition:” If you play elsewhere, the audience complains about every whistle. With us, viewers can complain about wrong decisions, even if we benefit from them ourselves. «Rakar did not take his final sentence very seriously. “Maybe it takes a little more cynicism,” he said with a laugh.
First, however, a few new employees are to be hired. “Then not all have to do 150 percent,” said Rakar. Otherwise not much will change. In Degerfors, the place carries the association. Also in another season in the Allsvenskan.
