Vålerenga Fotball experienced a chaotic transfer window that left the club in internal turmoil after decisions were made without the sporting director's influence. Captain Henrik Bjørdal and talent Promise Meliga were sold in the final hour, while Mohamed Ofkir chose HamKam over Vålerenga.
The club comes from a 3-4 loss against Molde on August 30th. That recent match was part of a poor form curve where the team has lost its latest league game.
Henrik Bjørdal, the 29-year-old captain, left Vålerenga Fotball for Viking in the very last hour of the transfer window. Simultaneously, the 19-year-old major talent Promise Meliga was sold to KFUM, a club that has support among Vålerenga's own supporters. The third decision came from 30-year-old Mohamed Ofkir, who personally chose to sign for HamKam after receiving an offer from Vålerenga.
These transfers happened without sporting director Joacim Jonsson being involved in the decision process. He had no authority over the choices made on Wednesday, even though he formally remained sporting director. The club also purchased Dennis Gjengaar from New York Red Bulls without Jonsson's involvement.
A transfer committee with six members, including club leadership and a representative from AS, was responsible for the decisions. Nobody from the committee was physically present at Intility on deadline day, all decisions were made digitally. Svein Graff clarified that the club leadership, another board member, and the AS representative had decision-making power in the committee.
The committee has functioned this way for several years, but only gained attention now. Despite supporters protesting outside Intility, nobody from the club leadership came out to speak with the media.
Joacim Jonsson left Vålerenga after the season, a departure he described as positive. "I leave Vålerenga with a smile on my face, and it becomes the happy divorce where you celebrate both Christmas and birthdays with your ex after the split," said the sporting director. He concluded by saying: "It would be completely wrong for me to comment when I won't be involved. Beyond that, I don't wish to comment on anything."
The day after Jonsson's departure became public, managing director Søren Eriksen also resigned from his position with immediate effect. This left the club with a leadership vacuum in the middle of a difficult sporting period. Supporters can follow developments in the squad on our squad page.
Vålerenga Fotball now stands without its captain and one of its biggest talents before an important away match. The team must reorganize quickly before meeting Sarpsborg 08 FF, which is the next task on the fixtures list. The loss against Molde showed defensive vulnerabilities that now must be addressed without Bjørdal's experience.
The internal turmoil and lack of presence from leadership on a critical day creates uncertainty about the club's direction. Decisions made digitally by a committee without physical presence have left deep marks. Vålerenga plays away against Sarpsborg 08 FF on September 6th, 2026.
