 Nilsson in 2014 | |||
| Born | 6 May 1957 [1] Emmaboda, Sweden | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Other occupation | Football administrator | ||
| Domestic | |||
| Years | League | Role | |
| 1992-2002 | Allsvenskan | Referee | |
| International | |||
| Years | League | Role | |
| 1994–2002 | FIFA–listed | Referee | |
Karl-Erik Nilsson (born 6 May 1957) is the first vice-president of UEFA. Nilsson is also a retired football referee.
Nilsson was born on 6 May 1957 in Emmaboda, Sweden. He studied to become an elementary school teacher, a profession he practised during the 1970s. Nilsson also worked in the correctional system of Sweden. As a politician for the Social Democratic Party, Nilsson was the chairman of the municipal board of Emmaboda Municipality between 1994 and 2006.
In the 1980s Nilsson started his career as a professional football referee. Nilsson supervised his first Allsvenskan match in 1992 and became a FIFA certified referee in 1994. He is best known for supervising matches during the UEFA Champions League (1999–2002). [2] [3] He was also a regular choice for leading international matches in the 1990s, for instance at the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship. [4] Nilsson's other official competitions included qualifiers for Euro 1996, [5] Euro 2000, [6] and the 1998 [7] and 2002 [8] World Cups. He also worked as a fourth official during UEFA Euro 1996. [9]
After his career as a referee Nilsson remained in football and served as the chairman of Bohusläns Fotbollförbund until 2012. Nilsson was also active as a member of the boards of directors at the Swedish Football Association before he was elected president of the association on 23 March 2012 after Lars-Åke Lagrell resigned. [10]
On 28 May 2023, he was appointed chairperson for the Sveriges Riksidrottsförbund, succeeding Björn Eriksson. [11]
