FIRST DAY ON THE JOB: On Thursday, Geir Bakke was in place at Valle, the day after Vålerenga advanced to the semi-finals of the cup. Photo: Geir Olsen / NTB
VALLE (VG) Geir Bakke was informed of Vålerenga’s interest earlier this year, but at the time he chose not to proceed with the matter.
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Geir Bakke meets VG in the canteen at Intility Arena, the stadium that will be his home for the next four years.
However, he was unsure if he wanted that home, when he first heard that Vålerenga wanted him as a coach.
– Did you say no at first?
– It was the case that there was interest, but there are often agents who work with this. I had no direct contact with Vålerenga. It was an early phase, and then I chose not to go ahead with it, says Bakke to VG.
Leaders in both Vålerenga and Lillestrøm have indicated the same thing: That it has been a process over a couple of weeks, but which really gained momentum in the days before Bakke decided to become Vålerenga coach.
– So you said no (to Vålerenga’s first push)?
– It will not be a no, because you have to enter into negotiations – or really show interest – and that was not the case. There was an interest, and I declined to go ahead with it, says Bakke.
A LOT TO TAKE IN: The first 24 hours have been hectic, he says. – I was prepared for that, both in terms of what you were going to get into, everyone you were going to get to know, and that it was going to be turbulent. Photo: Geir Olsen / NTB
The Vålerenga coach, who has just had his first official day on the job, confirms that his salary is increasing.
– I will admit that there is a difference between what I had in Lillestrøm and what I have here now, that’s it, but I have made the choice because I have felt it is right where I am in my landscape as a coach, where I am now. I felt like this challenge, says Bakke.
– What do you get in salary?
– It must be a private matter, he says.
When asked if the money was decisive in his choice, the answer is a straight “no”.
NRK’s football commentator Jan Petter Saltvedt goes so far as to suggest that money was the only reason why Bakke chose to agree to the controversial transfer from Lillestrøm to arch-rival Vålerenga. He writes that in a comment.
– This truly shocking coaching change is probably only due to the fact that Vålerenga owner Tor Olav Trøim has significantly improved the salary offer to Bakke in the last couple of weeks, to the extent that it has probably ended up over NOK 5 million per year for the 4.5 years of the contract about, claims Saltvedt.
Saltvedt thus suggests that Trøim and Vålerenga shell out around 25 million for Bakke.
Romerikes Blad commentator Morten Svesengen also suggests that the salary increase was decisive for Bakke’s choice. “When what is probably at least a doubling of the salary in Vålerenga came on the table, he chose to leave”, writes Svesengen.
Published:
Published: 13.07.23 at 17:25
Updated: 13.07.23 at 17:41
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