Vålerenga Fotball's surprise sale of captain Henrik Bjørdal on the final day of the transfer window split the club's leadership and caused an immediate board rupture. Søren Eriksen resigned as board leader after the rest of the transfer committee voted to sell the 29-year-old midfielder to Viking.
The club had already met its summer sales targets through Filip Thorvaldsen's transfer for approximately 60 million kroner. Yet the transfer committee approved Bjørdal's sale for 25 million kroner, according to VG's information. The decision came as the team had just lost 3-4 to Molde on August 30th, and enters their next fixture against Sarpsborg 08 FF away on September 7th with a loss in their most recent match.
Svein Graff, the daily leader of Vålerenga Fotball Elite, explained the sale was not economically necessary, but rather a decision to strengthen the club's finances heading into 2027. He pointed out that operations excluding player sales have been in significant deficit. Over the last three years, the deficit without player trading has been close to 200 million kroner.
"It is no ideal solution that the captain leaves. A player must be motivated to be here," said Graff. Coach Johannes Moesgaard stated that when a player expresses a desire to use motivation elsewhere, he handles such situations quite harshly. He added that Bjørdal has been a good player for Vålerenga, but the team has also lost matches with him. The club's squad also shows that F. Ambina and M. Sjoeng are currently sidelined.
The transfer committee that made the decision consisted of members from both Vålerenga Fotball Elite and Vålerenga Fotball AS. From the Elite side sat Svein Graff, Søren Eriksen and Tore Krogstad. From the AS side participated Kjetil Siem and Anders Onarheim, the latter in an observer role.
Vålerenga Fotball AS is fully owned by Magni Sports AS, which in turn is owned by investor Tor Olav Trøim. Anders Onarheim is a long-time friend and business partner of Trøim. Kjetil Siem however stressed that "It is always the club and not AS that decides all purchases and sales." Ine Hope Karlsen, the new board leader following Eriksen's departure, confirmed the club does not experience pressure from investors about when it should become economically sustainable.
Søren Eriksen's immediate resignation as board leader marked a rare open split in Vålerenga's leadership. Ine Hope Karlsen confirmed he stepped down due to disagreement in the board about the Bjørdal sale, but did not specify who disagreed. Eriksen himself had been against the sale.
Karlsen emphasized that the transfer committee has been responsible for transfer decisions for several years. She stressed the sale did not happen due to pressure from main owner Tor Olav Trøim, whose agreement with the club runs until 2028. In years without major player sales, Trøim has previously covered the costs.
The sale of the team captain comes at a challenging point in the season. Vålerenga's standings show the team needs points, and they now face an important away match without one of their most experienced players. Johannes Moesgaard and his coaching staff must now find new solutions in midfield.
Svein Graff argued the sale was good for the coaching team, and that funds from the Bjørdal transfer will compensate for other areas and provide financial strength. Kjetil Siem pointed out that the summer's two major sales, Thorvaldsen and Bjørdal, present an opportunity to improve the club's economy in the long term. The team's next chance to turn their form around comes against Sarpsborg 08 FF on Sunday.
