Ngozi Okobi-Okeoghene becomes free agent after Eskilstuna United collapse

Nigeria interational Ngozi Okobi-Okeoghene has become a free agent after Eskilstuna United was relegated from Swedish top-flight Damallsvenskan to second tier Elitettan for financial problems.

Okobi-Okeoghene’s side had ended the 2022 league season in the eighth position with 40 points after 26 games but decisions from the Swedish Football Association’s license board on the team’s bankruptcy.

On Monday, the Swedish football’s body announced all decisions regarding the elite clubs’ (Allsvenskan, Elitettan, and Superettan) elite licenses for 2023, with all clubs were granted an elite license except Eskilstuna United DFF.

“As of December 31, 2021, Eskilstuna United DFF reported a negative equity amounting to – SEK 553,000. As a result, the association had to submit a periodized financial statement as of August 31, 2022. Eskilstuna United DFF has submitted a periodized financial statement as of August 31, 2022, signed by the board and auditor, with substantial negative equity,”a statement by the Swedish Football Association’s license board read.

“In the contacts that have existed between the association and the Licensing Board, the association has referred to the fact that pandemic effects would constitute special reasons for granting a license despite a substantial negative equity as of August 31, 2022.”

The Licensing Board writes that, in their opinion, there are no “special reasons” to grant Eskilstuna an elite license.

“Special reasons refer to circumstances that the association could not have foreseen or otherwise had control over. The Licensing Committee assumes in its review of the elite license for the 2023 season that the pandemic and its residual effects cannot be considered to constitute special reasons as these conditions have been known since the spring of 2020”, the committee writes in its decision.

The club announced that all first-team players’ contracts will expire including that Okobi and the licensing board’s decision can be appealed to the SvFF’s appeal board no later than December 19, 2022.

Meanehile, Eskilstuna United’s chairman Lina Bertilsson said that the board has not yet decided whether to appeal the decision or not. As a result of Eskilstuna’s relegation, IK Uppsala will take the place of the club.