Failed appeal sends Örebro down

Örebro SK have failed in their appeal to avoid relegation from the Allsvenskan after failing to win a professional licence.

Appeal rejected
The Swedish Elite Licensing Committee decided back in November to relegate the team from the Allsvenskan because of high debts. The club claimed that a number of their creditors - who had formed a company called Örebro Spelarinvest - would help them remain solvent next season, but the appeal has been turned down.

'State of shock'
With a total debt said to be in the region of €1m, the appeals committee saw no choice but to relegate them to the second division. "This feels horrible," said Örebro vice chairman Rose-Marie Frebran. "We are in a state of shock. We were confident that our appeal was to be accepted, but now it feels very empty."

Play-off defeat
The decision means that Assyriska FF will take up the final place in the Swedish top tier next season, despite losing a promotion/relegation play-off against Örgryte IS at the start of November. It will be the first season in the Allsvenskan for the club, which is almost seen as an unofficial Assyrian national team.

'Absolutely fantastic'
"This is absolutely fantastic," said chairman Zeki Bisso, who will be stepping down ahead of the 2005 campaign. "There are a lot of people that have been working hard to achieve this and we have got an enormous amount of people from around the globe who have sent us their congratulations."

Slim chance
Örebro, meanwhile, still have a slim chance of clawing their way back into the Allsvenskan if they receive permission to appeal to the Swedish Sports Association - the committee which oversees all sports in Sweden - but this is regarded as an unlikely prospect.