Djurgården, an employer of Matthias Sånemyr, rose to SHL, but he thinks more and more clubs should rise and drop every year. The CEO could not imagine the Finnish model in Sweden.
For many years, the hockey Finnish Champions League had been practically closed. The series only got to the series if I met certain conditions and received approval from other clubs in the league.
CEO of the traditional Swedish club Djurgården Matthias sånemyr One cannot imagine the day in which something similar in Sweden would be done.
“If I went to suggest one, I could never show my face again,” says Sånemyr emphatically.
– It is clear what has been wanted in Sweden, so it has been decided and I fully support it. Sports must be for people and supporters.
The closed series is an impossible idea for Matthias Sånemyr. Jenni Gästgivar
Members decide
In Sweden’s desires, Sånemyr refers to the so -called 51 % rule.
Riksidrottsförbundet of the Swedish Sports Federations has outlined that members of a sports club in a western neighbor must have a majority of the votes.
“That (closed series) would never happen here because the activity is member -centered and the members would never allow anything like that,” says Sånemyr.
– If I went to suggest such that I would like to give up a 51 % rule, they would drive me out here.
Rise
Sånemyr speaks in the eighth floor of Djurgården’s new office space, with a view of the hockey World Cup fan area.
The World Championships have settled in Djurgården’s “backyard”. Jenni Gästgivar
Hurry. The office space is new, and Sånemyr regrets that trophies, boards and other interior elements are not yet in place.
Djurgården just went to the Swedish hockey main series to SHL by winning the local opponent AIK in the second -level finals.
There are plenty of trophies, as Djurgården is the most successful club in Swedish men’s hockey with 16 championships.
However, the club spent the previous three seasons at Hockeyallsvenskan.
Budget difference
Sweden is now in use with a model where the last two teams of the SHL will play the fall games. The loser falls directly to the second level. The replacement is the winner of the second level.
Previously in Sweden, SHL and Hockeyallsvenskan teams played a qualifying series. At the turn of the decade, a change was made in Sweden, with one straight fall time and a straight rising.
Sånemyr, who leaped from the media to the hockey club, was named Djurgården’s CEO in late 2023, meaning that he was not yet insider at the time of the change.
– But I would think that the change wanted to make sure that at least one team would rise and fall because the budget differences between SHL and Hockeyallsvenskan are huge. It’s not fair to put teams in the same qualifying series, Sånemyr says.
Djurgården, led by Sånemyr, has roughly run a turnover of EUR 7 million at second level in Sweden, which would also easily mean a SM league player budget.
The Jokerit, who won second -level Mestis in Finland, played a qualifying series against Pelicans this season. The Joker player budget has been reported to have been around € 650,000 and the Pelicans three million.
Djurgården is a traditional club. Jenni Gästgivar
Change to Sweden?
Iltalehti interviewed Sånemyr in Stockholm on Wednesday. The interview was originally agreed on Tuesday, but Sånemyr suddenly canceled the meeting at the last minute, citing the SHL meeting.
During the interview with Wednesday, the Swedish media struck that Djurgården, together with AIK, Almtuna and SDE, demands that the Swedish series system be changed.
The clubs want to fall from SHL and have two clubs per season. This is how Sånemyr also outlined to Iltalehti.
– I would say that falling and rising in Sweden must definitely be more flexible. Two clubs have to fall and two rise, Sånemyr says.
In addition to Sånemyr, there is a debate on whether or not a 14 team -sized main series should be reduced, for example, to 10 teams or to grow to 16.
– There are many different thoughts around it, but the most important thing for me is that whatever the number of teams, the two will rise and fall.
– In any case, the clubs in the threat of falls are stressed, but it cannot be stuck in the second league and the economy goes up quickly. The amount of money must be closer to each other at number one and second level. There is too much money in the game. It creates a stress space for the system.
The money to the counter
In the Ice Hockey League, the amount of TV income is protected like state secrets, but Sånemyr talks about the economy openly.
Djurgården’s net sales will bounce significantly with the rise of the serial, with the amount of money from SHL about EUR 4.5 million.
At the second level, clubs get more than € 500,000 in TV money. However, the amounts are not fully comparable, as at the second level, the clubs themselves can sell ads to ice. In SHL, sales of ice ads are centralized in the league. In any case, the difference is big.
“The difference is huge,” Sånemyr says.
However, the rise to SHL does not mean that Djurgården could start raging in the player market and be dry.
– Most of the money goes to new players. It is not that now the economy rolls smoothly. We are still struggling with it.
Djurgården has not changed his position on the change in the series system, even though the club now reached the main series.
Support in Stockholm
Sånemyr calculates that 40 % of the second -level net sales of over seven million have come from tickets, fan products and other sales in the “private market”.
50-60 % have come from partners and generous supporters.
For example, in Finland, JYP from Jyväskylä generated more than EUR 7.6 million in turnover in 2022-23, including admission tickets, season cards, food and alcohol sales, fan products, advertising cooperation and other sales. The largest single pot was 2.3 million advertising cooperation.
Globe and the courts in front of it are visible from the Djurgården office. Jenni Gästgivar
This came with, among other things, EUR 1.25 million TV money and a dividend of EUR 200,000 from the league.
As a traditional club, Djurgården needed and virtually received a free cash while pursuing a series rising.
“We really need individuals who have a great heart and support us,” says Sånemyr.
No payments
Djurgården aims to get to the top of SHL.
According to Sånemyr, the club has pulled the out -of -player expenses to a minimum and intends to keep them as close as possible to the current level in the main series.
According to Sånemyr, the staff of the office is committed to stretching so that the club can succeed in SHL.
Djurgården plays in the Hovet Arena next to the Avicii Arena, which is much cheaper than the iconic globen. However, the club plans to play five regular season games in Globen in the coming season. The club will have to hire some more event workers for Globen matches.
Otherwise, the serial rising didn’t mean just about any recruitment bar in Djurgården.
– We have said that we are trying to cope with our current staff. We are not hiring new employees.
The club is trying to find volunteers to do some things.
According to Sånemyr Niklas Wikegårdso that this can build the best possible team.
Sånemyr regrets that the serial rising is behind the player recruitment, as the final could have been a loss in the final. According to the CEO, SHL-level players are more expensive.
Modo fell
At a general level, Sånemyr says that falling out of the series often means kicks in Sweden for some of the office.
– Because you lose so much money in fall. But it depends on how the economy has been managed before that. When we last fell (at the end of the 2021-22 season), we had to do a lot of cuts, Sånemyr says.
– Now the fallen Modon doesn’t have to do much cuts because their finances are quite stable. They need to make sure that their players are sufficient.
Despite the example of Modo, Sånemyr wants to lighten the pain of falling.
Sånemyr uses words the stress coming to the systemwhen the clubs under the threat of fall are under pressure to buy better players to stay in the series. Anyway, someone always has to drop.
– The pressure raises wages while everything else goes down. It’s not a good way to work in this business.
Sånemyr wants to change the Swedish serial system. Jenni Gästgivar
Relationship with supporters
Despite the pain of falling from the series, Sånemyr sees no option other than the open series.
– That’s all fun. That’s what it’s interesting in sports, Sånemyr says.
– If you look at football, handball, floorball or whatever, everyone has the same thing. Falling and getting up makes sports more interesting. It’s our DNA.
According to Sånemyr, it is not uncommon in Sweden to find falling fights more interesting than the games above in the series.
Finland may wonder how the second -level team, such as Djurgården, may draw 7,000 to 8000 spectators from one evening to another.
According to Sånemyr, traditions and a strong brand of course help, but spectators still do not come. There are many more leisure time and sports in Stockholm.
Perhaps the biggest difference to Finland is supporter -centricity. Every Djurgården home match in the playoffs was Tifo.
– Because of the Tifos, there is something more than hockey at the event. Supporters feel like this is their club. They support and do their best every time.
– A good relationship with supporters and supporting supporters will increase the number of audience numbers. People also come to the matches because of the mood and the Tifos.
Supporters of the handsome Tifo made a match, which eventually settled the Djurgården series rising. The message was that the club was worthwhile, what happened. Aop