UEFA.com works better on other browsers
For the best possible experience, we recommend using Chrome, Firefox or Microsoft Edge.

Heritage inspires Assyriska

Should Assyriska FF be granted promotion, the celebrations will stretch far beyond Sweden.

By Jan Juhlin

On 4 December, the Swedish Football Association (SvFF) will decide whether to grant Assyriska FF a licence to play in the Allsvenskan in 2005. A whole nation is awaiting the outcome of that meeting. For Assyriska are a club without parallel in Sweden, and perhaps in the whole of Europe.

Unique situation
Founded in 1974 as the footballing division of Assyriska Föreningen, a society for refugees from the former Mesopotamian land of Assyria, few would have anticipated when they started playing in the Swedish eighth division that they would have so much success and be followed by so many.

Improbable peak
Clambering up the league structure throughout the 1980s, Assyriska reached a seemingly impossible peak for an "immigrant team" when they were promoted to the Swedish second flight in 1992. When they were relegated after one season - the first relegation in their history - some may have thought they had peaked.

Important work
However, the club came back stronger still, re-establishing themselves in the second tier. Meanwhile, off the field, Assyriska have been working hard to help integrate players and supporters irrespective of religion, language, colour or ethnic origin and have earned the support of the European Union.

Cultural role
"We play an important role in society, not only in Sweden but also in other parts of the world," said club chairman Zeki Bisso. "Assyriska have always worked hard to integrate people from different cultures, and we will continue to do so in the future."

SvFF appeal
Whether they will be able to take their work into the Allsvenskan depends upon how the SvFF adjudicates in the case of Örebro SK, who are appealing against an SvFF competition committee decision to relegate them from the Swedish top flight for financial problems.

Play-off defeat
Örebro's relegation left the path to the Allsvenskan open to Assyriska, who had previously been resigned to spending another season in the second division after losing out to Örgryte IS in the promotion/relegation play-offs. Should Örebro's appeal be upheld, that is exactly where they will stay.

Assyrian passion
However, that will not dampen the ardour of the club's supporters too much. With the bulk of the team's players being of Assyrian origin, Assyrians across the world have taken them to heart - tellingly, their play-off games against Örgryte were televised in 82 countries.

Fans' fervour
For some, the club are as near as Assyria - the majority of which is now in modern-day Iraq and Syria - has to a national team. And certainly, that might go to explain the passion of their fans, and, indeed, the fact that some supporters take the club's performances a little too seriously.

Pressured environment
The pressure on the club's coaches and players is huge, with the men in charge expecting to receive regular, passionate bouts of advice from fans. Assyriska have been through eight coaches in the last six years. Of their last nine coaches only two have lasted for an entire season.

Death threats
Earlier this year Assyriska player Alexandros Pappas quit the club after receiving death threats from supporters. Coaches have received similar unwanted attention, in addition to the daily difficulties of dealing with the club's myriad different cultures, languages and temperaments.

National heroes
"The passion is good and bad," said Johan Ländin, one of Assyriska's small band of Swedish players. "Not every coach can handle the pressure of never being left alone, but on the other hand we always get enormous support." With a whole nation behind them every matchday, that is hardly surprising.

Selected for you