Why Sweden replaced mascots with model figurines for Chile game

The weekend may have delivered another round of unremarkable World Cup warm-up friendlies, but Stockholm hosted something worth paying attention to.

Those who saw Sweden's game with Chile will have noticed that the home players took to the field carrying small sculptures. It's an initiative intended to draw attention to childhood bullying (by estimation, 60,000 are exposed to it in Sweden each year) and, with the support of Swedbank and Friends Foundation (the country's largest bank and its pre-eminent anti-bullying charity respectively), life-sized versions of the sculptures will be installed in areas around the Friends Arena in which bullying typically occurs (hallways, bathrooms, changing rooms and so on).

Johan Eriksson, head of external communications at Swedbank, said: “Swedbank has been the main sponsor of Friends, and partner of the Swedish Football Association, for many years, and we are very grateful that the players in the national team wanted to help spread the important message and encourage people all over the world to stop being spectators of bullying.

"Football has a unique ability to engage and unite people, and this friendly has the power to change the lives of thousands of children in Sweden, and more so, the rest of the world.”

Alas, Sweden lost their game (1-2) very late on against the South Americans who haven't qualified for the World Cup, meaning their goodwill wasn't returned. Bah. 

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