/ 25 October 2005

Swedish club to reimburse fans after loss

Swedish first-division club Elfsborg issued a rare apology to its fans on Monday for an 8-1 loss to league champion Djurgarden and said it will reimburse those who had travelled to Stockholm to see the match.

The club of former Southampton midfielder Anders Svensson suffered the defeat in Sunday’s final game of the season.

”This is our way of apologising to all our supporters, members, sponsors and all the volunteers that work for our club. We are ashamed,” Elfsborg said in a statement on its website.

It added there was no excuse for the ”unacceptable” performance the team displayed against Djurgarden.

An estimated 200 Elfsborg fans who travelled to Stockholm to see the match will be reimbursed for their travel and ticket costs, the club said.

Elfsborg finished in seventh place, 16 points behind Djurgarden, who won their third title in four years. — Sapa-AP