FINANCIAL TROUBLES REVEALED FOR ORGRYTE IS

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Figures released last month revealed that the Premier League club is suffering from a financial crisis, with debts of EUR 1.6 million announced. The debt has to be paid by August in order for the club to be allowed to play in the Allsvenskan, the country’s football league.

“We probably need €2m to keep the club going,” Club Director Stefan Herre Eriksson said. “It is really tough at the moment, there is no denying that. We received EUR 320,000 less than we had expected in ticket sales last season for example.”

Added acting chairman Bengt Gabrielii: “We have some old agreements which meant that we made a one-time loss of EUR 640,000 in 2005.”

The club – which owes a substantial sum to former coach Jukka
Ikkäläinen -- is considering several options to pay off the debts, including selling players and its training ground and looking for new investors. However the club said it would not part with players cheaply, including star Brazilian striker Ailton Almeida.

“We won’t accept any ludicrously low offers for him,” said Gabrielii. “We will try to refuse selling him as long as we can. But of course, it is difficult not to sell him when the situation is like it is. To sell him would be like shooting ourselves in the foot. He means a lot to us football-wise and he is the kind of player who brings in the crowds and the sponsors.”