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Soccer-Sweden report social media abuse of striker Berg to police

Euro 2020 - Group E - Spain v Sweden

By Philip O'Connor

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) -The Swedish FA will submit a formal report to the police after striker Marcus Berg was subjected to a storm of abuse on social media for missing an open goal in his side's scoreless draw with Spain at Euro 2020 on Monday.

Many abusive comments were posted below pictures on the 34-year-old's Instagram account after he skied a second-half shot over the bar with the goal at his mercy before being substituted along with Alexander Isak who set up the chance.

"I have spoken to Marcus just now, we've sat down and collected what's on the internet, or what we can find, and it's more than enough to feel that it has gone over the boundaries that we can accept," the Swedish team's security chief Martin Fredman said on Tuesday.

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"So the next step is to go further with a police report, and the police are prepared to hear from us," he added.

Fredman explained that it was up to police to decide if there would be a case to answer for those who had made abusive comments.

Berg's team mates defended him strongly after the Swedes' dour but effective stifling of Spain in their Euro clash.

"It's so ridiculous, I'm not even going to invest energy in it. I and everyone else in the team knows how important 'Mackan' (Berg) is for the team," goalkeeper Robin Olsen told reporters.

"It's incredibly low to be carrying on like that. He knows that I and the rest of the team have his back," he added.

Former Sweden captain Andreas Granqvist posted a picture on Instagram of himself and Berg embracing with the caption: "KING @marcusberg.9. I stand behind you always."

At the 2018 World Cup, the Swedes made a public stand against racism when winger Jimmy Durmaz was subjected to a similar stream of abuse for conceding a free kick against Germany which their opponents scored from.

The Swedes face Group E leaders Slovakia on Friday and Spain take on Poland the following day.

(Reporting by Philip O'Connor, editing by Ed Osmond and Pritha Sarkar)