The Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) has asked Vålerenga Fotball for a detailed explanation of how the club handled the sale of Henrik Bjørdal. This week, the captain was sold to Viking on transfer deadline day, triggering internal conflict and a change in board leadership. The NFF will send a formal request to the club to clarify whether the commercial company Vålerenga Fotball AS influenced the sporting decision. This comes as Vålerenga tries to turn around a difficult season, with a recent 3-4 loss to Molde on August 30th.
On transfer deadline day, Henrik Bjørdal was sold from Vålerenga Fotball to Viking. The sale was controversial because Bjørdal was the team captain and a key player. Kjetil Siem, who is involved in the transition committee, has claimed the sale was the club's decision alone. Yet, it led to immediate consequences. Board chairman Søren Eriksen chose to resign from his position on Thursday morning. He cited internal disagreements on the board following discussions about the Bjørdal sale as his reason.
In a press release, Eriksen stated he understood he had not considered the club board in his thinking and was taking responsibility. The sale was presented to the transition committee by sports director Joacim Jonsson and Svein Graff. Graff commented on the reactions, saying: "It came as expected, I would say, strong reactions that the transition committee chooses to sell a captain and a key player." The club's next match is an away game against Sarpsborg 08 FF on September 6th, an important fixture given the current form showing one loss in the most recent outing.
The NFF's legal head, Line R. Petersen, has expressed concern that the commercial entity may have had too much influence on a sporting decision. She emphasizes that the cooperation model in Norwegian football is clear. A sports club can cooperate with a commercial company that provides funding and resources, but the sports club must retain the final authority on sporting matters. Petersen said: "Based on what has emerged in the media, we will send an email to Vålerenga where we ask the club to account for the decision-making structure regarding purchases and player sales."
She specified that a cooperation forum where the company is represented cannot bind the club board to sign or sell a player. The decisive factor is that the club's board, or a sports committee with full authority from the board and unconnected to the company, must make the decision. This is a matter of principle for the NFF to protect the independence of sports clubs.
Vålerenga Fotball operates with a dual model. Vålerenga Fotball Elite is the football club itself, while Vålerenga Fotball AS is the commercial company. The company is wholly owned by Tor Olav Trøims Magni Sports AS. To coordinate between the two entities, a transition committee exists. In this committee, two representatives from the club board sit with Kjetil Siem and Anders Onarheim from the AS board, where Onarheim has an observer role.
Kjetil Siem has stated that the club, and not AS, determines all purchases and sales. He also claimed they expressed support regardless of the sale's outcome. However, the NFF's request has spotlighted whether this structure was followed in practice during the Bjørdal transfer. The question of how much influence a commercial company should have is a recurring theme in Norwegian top football. To see how Vålerenga is positioned in Eliteserien, check our standings page.
The immediate consequence is that Vålerenga Fotball must now find a new board chairman after Søren Eriksen's resignation. Simultaneously, they must respond to the NFF's formal inquiry about the decision-making process. This happens during a period of sporting challenges. The club's latest result was a loss, and they have not won in their most recent match. Losing an experienced captain like Bjørdal on deadline day adds further pressure to the squad.
The decision to sell a key player could affect the team's cohesion and performances in upcoming matches. It is vital for the club to handle this situation clearly to maintain trust among players and supporters. The next challenge awaits in an away match against Sarpsborg 08 FF, a game that now carries extra significance. Vålerenga's next match is played on Sunday, September 6th, 2026.
