Djurgården IF (DIF) is a sports club in Sweden founded in 1891. Their fans seem to have undergone a long period of transition, after its most active group organizing tifo displays, Ultras STHLM, fell apart. But new groups have taken on the mantle, including Ultra Caos Stockholm, who produced the trailer for the DVD featured above.

The Djurgården ultras continue to face problems with the crackdowns on use of pyrotechnics: the ultras argue that the repression leads to irresponsible handling (flares are then often dropped near flags so perpetrators cannot be so easily identified), and that a safe approach agreed by the club and supporters is needed. Indeed, there’s even a non-pyro version of the above video used for wider distribution.

The Djurgården fans are also active with the production of tifo displays for the club’s ice hockey team: impressive stuff!

No, that’s not a stadium fire, that’s smoke emitting from an AIK fans’ pyro display at their Råsunda Stadium in Stockholm, Sweden.

Photo credit: docuism on Flickr

In a return of our tifo video series, we stop in Sweden to look at a beautifully choreographed and executed tifo display by supporters of IFK Göteborg in a match against AIK (who we featured just a month or two ago) earlier this year.

This two-tier display includes flag waving on the terrace above, with scarves held up across the lower level below.

And then….there’s a little colour added to proceedings.

Hungary vs. Sweden, Puskás Ferenc Stadion, September 5th 2009. Sweden won the 2010 World Cup qualifier 2-1.

Photo credit: photoreti via the Pitch Invasion photo pool.

Our series on supporter tifo displays on Pitch Invasion jumps from Northern Ireland to Sweden.

Below is a compilation of displays by supporters of AIK (Allmänna Idrottsklubben). AIK were founded in 1891, and after being one of the dominant forces in the early decades of the Swedish league, have only had sporadic success in recent years.

This hasn’t prevented a number of extremely vibrant supporters’ groups from developing in the past decades, and AIK have continued to have very strong attendance numbers. Prominent groups include the historically largest group, the Black Army, and Sol Invictus and Ultras Nord.

AIK vs. Djurgården. AIK's Black Army with a pyro display. September 28, 2009.

Photo credit: pelle_T on Flickr, via the Pitch Invasion Photo Pool.

Without much continental European ancestry to draw on (Ukraine is my only real claim, but they didn’t make it, of course), I still haven’t found a team. The Dutch are close to drawing me in based on their football, as they often have in the past, but there’s something about their inevitable implosion that’s putting me off. Same goes for Spain. I get enough of that with England already.

A reader emailed me a potential solution: don’t choose on football criteria, but on ethical criteria, by using the website Who Should I Cheer For, which ranks teams on a variety of criteria, ranging from carbon dioxide emissions to military aid (England would have ranked second last had they qualified, unsurprisingly).

The site is an initiative of the World Development Movement. The top three by this ethical criteria are Sweden, Austria and Croatia, and I’m fully behind ruling out the likes of Italy (14th) or Russia (last) on this criteria.

Not a bad trio for me to pick from. I’m tempted by Croatia, as there’s something slightly redeeming about the team that knocked you out of the competition winning the whole thing; and Modric’s on Spurs now, my second English team. If Austria somehow won it, the atmosphere at the tournament would explode, so I’ve nothing against that.

And the Swedes: I like the kooky combination of the resurrected Henrik Larsson and the genius of Ibrahimovic. And, well, then there’s this:

So from whichever way you look it, be it ethical leanings, interesting football or base objectification of their female supporters, Sweden wins! (I hope you enjoyed the deterioration of the criteria used to make the decision)

And how about you: if you don’t have a native team at Euro 2008, who are you supporting, and how did you choose?

Credits: alin farcas on Flickr. And thanks to Murray for the tip-off to Who Should I Cheer For.

Photo credit: JamesCalder on Flickr, via the Pitch Invasion photo pool.