The upcoming Conference League match between Chelsea and Djurgarden has been overshadowed by controversy following the resignation of the Swedish club`s chairman amidst a racism scandal.
Lars-Erik Sjoberg is reportedly under investigation by the Swedish newspaper Expressen, which alleges he shared xenophobic content on his social media platforms.
Credit: Getty
Sjoberg, who served as chairman for over ten years, resigned just before what is considered one of the club`s most significant matches, facing two-time European champions Chelsea.
Credit: Djurgarden
Sjoberg denies being the original author of the right-wing viewpoints in question.
He stated, "When I speak on behalf of Djurgården Football, I use Djurgården`s official channels or communicate directly with journalists who contact me regarding my role as a club representative."
"I personally publish very little on social media, and when I do, it is usually personal or family-related content."
"However, I follow numerous accounts across various social media platforms, representing different political stances, religious perspectives, and societal viewpoints. I occasionally share or like content from my feed, but I rarely compose my own posts."
Djurgarden is scheduled to play Chelsea in the first leg of their Conference League semi-final tie tomorrow, with the second leg taking place at Stamford Bridge next Thursday.
Adding to the issues, some Djurgarden players have reportedly described their own artificial home pitch as ‘s****y’.
Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo commented on the upcoming match, stating, "We know that every game is tough."
"So we will approach it with the mindset that the opposition will be very challenging, but also with our strong desire to win."
"We will give everything in this game, everything."
"We know they will be very tough opponents, especially playing at their home ground. Therefore, we must perform well, stick to our game plan, and I am confident we can secure a win."
Djurgården`s performance in the new Allsvenskan season has been slow.
Following five straight seasons finishing in the top four, the club currently sits in 11th place in the league standings, having accumulated 7 points out of a possible 15.
In earlier rounds of the Conference League, the Swedish team eliminated Rapid Vienna in the quarterfinals and Pafos from Cyprus in the round of 16.
