Syrianska FC facts for kids
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| Full name | Syrianska Football Club (SFC) | ||
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| Nickname(s) | Suryoye | ||
| Founded | 1 July 1977 as Suryoyo SK | ||
| Ground | Södertälje Fotbollsarena, Södertälje | ||
| Capacity | 6,100 | ||
| Chairman | Iso Gursac | ||
| Manager | Özcan Melkemichel | ||
| League | Division 2 | ||
| 2023 | Division 2 Södra Svealand, 7th of 14 | ||
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Syrianska Football Club, often called Syrianska FC, is a professional football team from Södertälje, Sweden. It was started in 1977 by Syriac-Aramean immigrants. The club was first known as Suryoyo Sportklubb. In 1986, its name changed to Syrianska SK. As the club grew, it became Syrianska FC.
In 2010, Syrianska FC made history by reaching Allsvenskan, Sweden's top football league. They were the 61st team ever to play in Allsvenskan. Many people see Syrianska FC as a special team because the Syriac people do not have their own national football team. The club has fans all over the world. When they reached Allsvenskan, it was a big deal, shown on TV and in magazines.
Contents
The Journey of Syrianska FC
The Syriac Federation in Södertälje started Suryoyo Sportklubb in 1977. The team began playing in Division 7 East, which was a lower league. Six years later, they moved up to Division 6. In 1985, Suryoyo won their division and were promoted to Division 5.
In 1986, the club changed its name to Syrianska SK. Just two years later, they won Division 5 and moved up to Division 4. They played there until 1990, when they advanced to Division 3.
Syrianska kept winning! In 1993, they moved up to Division 2, which was the third-highest league at that time. In 1995, they were relegated to Division 3 for the first time. The club then set a goal to reach Division 1 by 2001. In 1999, Syrianska was promoted to Division 2 again.
In 2000, they finished third in Division 2. The club also started to focus on youth football. The next year, they won Division 2 with 53 points. They played a special match to try and reach Superettan (the second-highest league), but they did not win.
By 2003, Syrianska aimed to reach Superettan by 2006. In 2004, they were in the middle of Division 1. They missed out on promotion to Superettan again after losing a play-off match.
In 2006, with Özcan Melkemichel as coach, the team had a great start to the season. Their new home stadium in Södertälje helped. After a tough 2007 season with many injuries, Syrianska played a big derby match against Assyriska. They won 2-1 in front of 7,146 fans! They won again in the second match. Even though they played well, a points deduction meant they finished fourth.
In 2008, Syrianska played against Hammarby IF from the top league in the Svenska Cupen. Hammarby was winning 4-0 at halftime, but Syrianska made an amazing comeback to tie the game 4-4! Hammarby scored two more goals to win 6-4. Syrianska won their league with two games left, finishing with 59 points.
In 2009, they played their first season in Superettan. They finished fourth, just one point away from third place. In 2010, Syrianska won the Superettan league! They finished with 56 points. Peter Ijeh was their top scorer with 17 goals. This win meant Syrianska was promoted to Allsvenskan for the first time ever!
In 2012, Syrianska played their second season in Allsvenskan. They finished 13th. The next year, they finished last and were relegated back to Superettan. In 2014, they finished tenth in Superettan and stayed in the league. In 2015, they finished seventh. In 2016, they finished 13th and won a play-off to stay in Superettan. However, in 2017, they finished 15th and were relegated to Division 1.
In 2019, Syrianska finished last in Superettan and were relegated to Division 1. Then, in February 2020, the Swedish Football Association announced that Syrianska would be moved down another division, to Division 2. This was because the club had not made some important payments.
Team Colors and Badge
The club's badge was designed when they changed their name to Syrianska FC. The winged torch and the colors on the badge come from the Aramean-Syriac flag. This flag represents the Syriac-Aramean people. The words on the badge are in Aramaic and mean "Syriac Sports Club in Södertälje."
Home Stadium
Syrianska FC plays its home games at the Södertälje Fotbollsarena in Södertälje. This stadium is also home to their local rival, Assyriska Föreningen. The stadium can hold 6,700 people. For bigger games, it can be made larger. In 2009, a derby match between Syrianska and Assyriska had 8,453 fans!
The stadium was built in 2005 and cost about 12 million euros. The city of Södertälje paid for it. The field is 105 by 68 meters and has an artificial turf surface. The stadium is also known as Jallavallen. This name comes from the Syriac word jalla, which means "hurry."
Supporters and Fans
The official fan club for Syrianska FC is called Gefe Fans. It was started in 2002 by a group of supporters in Södertälje. The word Gefe means "wings," which refers to the wings on the Syriac-Aramean flag.
Syrianska FC has fans all over the world. Many people see the club as a national team for the Syriac-Aramean people. Gefe Fans are known for their amazing tifo displays, which are large, colorful banners and choreographies shown by fans during games. They also help organize supporters around the stadium and do community work.
Ultras 77 is a smaller group of about 30 supporters. They are in charge of all the tifo events during Syrianska FC games.
Team Players
Current Squad
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Well-Known Former Players
Fabrizio Pratticò
Steeven Ribéry
Branislav Vukomanović
Retired Jersey Numbers
12 – This number is retired for the Club Supporters. It means the fans are like the 12th player on the field!
Youth Programs
Syrianska FC has a growing youth program. More and more young people want to play for the club. Over 500 children and teenagers play in different age groups. About 65 leaders help guide them. One of the club's goals is to have many teams for each age group. They also want to create a strong base for social activities for younger players. Everyone is welcome to play, no matter their skill level.
Club Achievements
League Titles
- Superettan
- Winners (1): 2010
- Division 1 Norra
- Winners (1): 2008
Season by Season Performance
| Season | Level | Division | Section | Position | Movements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Tier 3 | Division 2 | West | 3rd | |
| 2001 | Tier 3 | Division 2 | West | 1st | Lost play-off |
| 2002 | Tier 3 | Division 2 | West | 4th | |
| 2003 | Tier 3 | Division 2 | East | 9th | |
| 2004 | Tier 3 | Division 2 | East | 5th | |
| 2005 | Tier 3 | Division 2 | East | 1st | Lost play-off |
| 2006 | Tier 3 | Division 2 | 6th | ||
| 2007 | Tier 3 | Division 1 | North | 4th | |
| 2008 | Tier 3 | Division 1 | North | 1st | Promoted |
| 2009 | Tier 2 | Superettan | 4th | ||
| 2010 | Tier 2 | Superettan | 1st | Promoted | |
| 2011 | Tier 1 | Allsvenskan | 14th | Won play-off | |
| 2012 | Tier 1 | Allsvenskan | 13th | ||
| 2013 | Tier 1 | Allsvenskan | 16th | Relegated | |
| 2014 | Tier 2 | Superettan | 10th | ||
| 2015 | Tier 2 | Superettan | 7th | ||
| 2016 | Tier 2 | Superettan | 13th | Won play-off | |
| 2017 | Tier 2 | Superettan | 15th | Relegated | |
| 2018 | Tier 3 | Division 1 | North | 2nd | Promoted |
| 2019 | Tier 2 | Superettan | 16th | Relegated 2 divisions | |
| 2020 | Tier 4 | Division 2 | Östra Götaland | 3rd |
Team Managers
Özcan Melkemichel (Jan 2005–2013)
Carlos Roberto Cabral (Jan 2014)- Nemanja Miljanović (Jan 2015 – Dec 2015)
Head Coaches
Valeri Bondarenko (Jan 2011 – Dec 2011)- Klebér Saarenpää (March 2012 – 2013)
More About Football
In Spanish: Syrianska FC para niños
- Arameisk-Syrianska IF
- Assyriska FF
- Valsta Syrianska IK
- List of Assyrian-Syriac football teams in Sweden
