From Euphoria to Disappointment: Sweden and the Empty Seats in Malmö

How Sweden’s national team fell apart after an excellent opening four games at EHF EURO 2026 in front of the home crowd in Malmö will be analyzed by experts in the weeks and months to come, but one of the tournament co-hosts seemingly collapsed in every aspect.

The “Three Crowns” team, which returned to the big stage by winning EHF EURO 2022 and has since been regarded as one of the leading forces in world handball, disappointed the home public given that it failed to reach the European Championship semi-finals. Instead, Klar, Gottfridsson, Palicka and a host of other top-class players will have to settle for the fifth-place match in Herning, where they will face Portugal.

What was visible to the naked eye—and not reflected by the result—was the insufficiently filled stands at Malmö Arena. The magnificent venue, one of the most beautiful arenas where handball has been played in decades, with a capacity of 11,800 seats, was full only for the opening of the tournament. The second-best attendance came in the win over Croatia (10,200), while the average attendance was 9,400.

When Apelgren’s team needed them most, the empty red seats stood out. In the decisive match against Hungary, there were 7,342 spectators in the stands.

The average attendance when Sweden hosted the 2023 World Championship at Scandinavium in Gothenburg was significantly higher—10,900.

Source: Aftonbladet