AIK Kit-Man Unexpectedly Penalised for Tussle Over Throw-In Towel

The kit manager for Swedish league leaders AIK found himself in an unusual situation, receiving a yellow card during his team’s 1-0 victory over Öster in a heated encounter that unfolded in the first half of their match on Sunday.

Håkan Sjoberg, AIK’s materials manager, typically places towels along the sidelines to assist players in drying the ball before long throw-ins. However, during the first half against Öster, the towels kept disappearing, prompting Sjoberg to step away from the dugout to replace them, which then escalated into a disagreement.

“I asked, ‘Can I have my towel back?’ But I didn’t get it, and this led to a bit of an argument with Öster’s coach, Martin Foyston,” the passionate Sjoberg recounted, noting how tensions rose, resulting in a yellow card for venturing out of the AIK technical area.

“Now I’ve received about 45 messages on my phone… it was wild. At least it wasn’t a red card, as I’ve had more than my fair share of those,” he added.

Foyston, the Öster manager, was less than impressed with Sjoberg’s antics following his team’s defeat, which left AIK perched at the top of the league table with 10 points after four matches.

“I don’t believe we should allow them to hang their towels in our home ground—they can do that at their own stadium, but it’s not right here,” he remarked bluntly in a post-match interview.

In the end, Sjoberg’s side had the last word as Bersant Celina netted the decisive goal in the 80th minute after Öster failed to clear a set-piece; unfortunately for the kit manager, he couldn’t take any credit as the goal came from a free kick, not a long throw.