The boards of Malmö FF and LB07 propose a club merger

The boards of Malmö FF and LB07 (IF Limhamn Bunkeflo) have made a directional decision to merge the main parts of LB07 with Malmö FF. Pursuant to their decision, the boards have also agreed on a decision of intent to explore the conditions for the merger, with the aim that the clubs will make their final decision at their respective extraordinary general meetings later this year.

– Malmö FFand LB07 complement each other very well, says Malmö FF chairman AndersPålsson. This is a merger that would strengthen Malmö FF in several ways. Werepresent the entire city of Malmö and seek to be the leading Nordic footballclub for both men and women.

– In essence,Malmö FF is an elite football club, but in order to ensure a continued streamof our own homegrown elite players we need to widen our base concerning bothgenders, says Anders Pålsson. The merger with LB07 will contributesignificantly to this aim.

– Earlierthis year, we analysed the future of LB07 and saw that the club had thepotential to complement Malmö FF in many ways, says LB07 chairman Robert Lenir.We therefore decided to contact Malmö FF and have since then been in intensediscussions. We have now reached a proposition that we wish to put before themembers of our respective clubs.

The mainproposition is that Malmö FF will from the 2020 season have one men’s team andone women’s team, as well as youth teams for boys and girls ranging fromfootball school to Boys 19/Girls 19. The clubs will during the nearest timeenter into dialogues with the Swedish Football Association and Skånes FF todraw up a decisional framework based on current rules and regulations regardingthe other boys’ teams within the present LB07. The plan is a long-term partnershipdeal concerning player exchange between Malmö FF and the LB07 elite men’s team.

– LB07 hascurrently about 1 400 active members, consisting mainly of children andyouths as well as 200 non-payed coaches. The membership is drawn from all partsof Malmö, says Robert Lenir.

Since thedecision to reintroduce girls’ football at the 2016 Annual General Meeting,Malmö FF has worked continuously to develop girls’ football within the club. Thedevelopment has, however, not fully fulfilled the expectations and the club hastherefore been considering ways of reinforcing its efforts for the progress ofgirls’ and women’s football.

– Theadvancement of girls’ and women’s football is a question of values and equality,says Anders Pålsson. During recent years we have continuously analysed ourprogress and the opportunities available to us. Given that our activities withingirls’ football have not developed to the extent we had hope, our boardunanimously decided earlier this year to explore ways of establishing a women’steam much sooner than building from girls’ teams at lower ages.

– The merger with LB07 would create entirely new possibilities for us. Apart from a wider base for girls’ football, it would present us with a women’s team at the highest level as well as elite female role models, plus a broad boys’ football.