Redbergslid in financial dispute – the star demands SEK 300,000

In 2022, EC gold hero Andreas Palicka helped RIK hang on before he moved on to French big club Paris Saint-Germain. But after dancing around the relegation zone for several years, it finally didn’t work out for Sweden’s all-time best handball association.

On March 31, Lugi won the fateful match with 32–27 and after 40 consecutive seasons in the top league, Redbergslids IK came in last place in the table and went out.

And immediately trying to get back to the fine room is out of the question.

– We hope to end up somewhere around a middle position in the Allsvenskan. A few older players remain, otherwise the team is very young. Our ambition is to build something in the long term and it may take the time it takes, says Tony Larsson, who was previously sports manager but is now back in the club manager position after Kristoffer Myrfalk’s departure in April after barely a year of service.

Therefore, the club manager left

Myrfalk told Handbollskanalen that he wanted to return to business and that the role of club manager was not really his thing.

– It is very fun to work with handball, but I am used to working in places where there is a lot of structure and quite a lot of things are ready. There has been a completely different basis and that is where I feel that I work best. I’ve had a bit of a hard time sorting out what to do in my role as club manager, it’s damn wide. I feel that I have not brought out my top qualities and the focus has become on other things, Kristoffer Myrfalk told the site.

The demotion also means a financial blow to the already pressured association, which over the years has nurtured world stars such as Magnus Wislander, Peter Gentzel, Stefan Lövgren, Ljubomir Vranjes and Andreas Palicka.

Reduced compensation via central agreements, likely lower sponsorship income and fewer tickets sold for the home matches are the new reality. Redbergslid is forced to adapt its operations and review all expenses in order to eventually get back on its feet.

“The sporting aspect comes third”

RIK, most of the champions with 20 SM gold on their track record, has had major financial problems over the years. According to Tony Larsson, the financial statements must be revised and no recent figures are available.

– But that there will be a loss of a few million is clear. We are working hard to get the finances and organization in order. That is the most important thing right now. The sporting aspect comes third, he says.

The club currently has no debts with the Swedish Enforcement Agency, but an application for a payment order has been received. Marko Lasica, national team member for Montenegro and who is still in RIK, has a wage claim of roughly 300,000 kroner to which he considers himself entitled. However, the authority has not handled the case yet and Redbergslid rejects the claim completely.

– We made a payment last week and consider that we have fulfilled our duty. He has received all the salary we owed him, says Tony Larsson about the dispute.

Klette: “The debt is not regulated”

Sports lawyer Martin Klette represents Marko Lasica and he has a completely different view of the matter.

– RIK owes Marko more than 308,000 kroner where the oldest salary debts are from December 2021. It has been extremely difficult to sort out the debts because the sporting director Tony Larsson has not given correct contract information to the financial manager at the club, who is the one who helped me calculate the numbers that formed the basis of the application, says Klette and continues:

– The debt is not regulated. RIK says they will pay off part of the debt soon, but we don’t trust that until the money is in the account. If you do not do the right thing for yourself, the application will be handed over to the district court.

Tony Larsson does not want to comment on what Klette says but maintains that the club did the right thing.

At the same time, not everything is night black in the ancient association. On the youth side, the club has grown considerably in recent years and now has more than 600 active children and young people. It has certainly meant growing pains, but recently RIK came fifth in the U-SM on the boys’ side as first-year juniors.

– It is, of course, very gratifying. And we have more talented litters coming from below. Now, as I said, we will try to get everything in order and build long-term, says the club manager.

Expressen has contacted the chairman Lena Engström, who refers questions to Tony Larsson.

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