LEADER OF NORWEGIAN FOOTBALL: Secretary General Karl-Petter Løken, here together with Erling Haaland and NFF president Lise Klaveness. Photo: Bjørn S. Delebekk / VG
At the same time that the Norwegian Football Association (NFF) lost 40 million last year, salary expenses in the association have exploded in the last ten years.
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The Norwegian Football Association (NFF) had a deficit of NOK 40 million in 2022, at the same time as salary expenses have increased sharply in the last ten years. Figures from annual reports show that the number of employees has increased by 64 people over the course of ten years. Wage expenses have risen from NOK 110.5 million in 2013 to NOK 200.1 million in 2022, an increase of 81 per cent. At the same time, the price increase in society has been 28 per cent. Total income for the NFF, Ullevaal stadion Idrett AS, AS Ullevaal stadion and Idrettens Helsesenter AS has increased from NOK 870 million in 2013 to NOK 1.2 billion in 2022. Show more
This is shown by figures VG has obtained from the football association’s annual reports since 2013.
The number of employees in the NFF has increased by 64 people over the course of ten years.
At the same time, salary expenses in the NFF have gone from NOK 110.5 million a year in 2013, and up to NOK 200.1 million last year.
This is a growth of 81 per cent. In comparison, price growth in society has otherwise been 28 per cent in the same period.
– I would not call these figures a danger signal, because we are aware of the efficient use of money in Norwegian football. It is about making arrangements for good activity. But there is reason to ask questions. We do that internally as well. There have been more employees, but it is a conscious priority. However, it is always healthy to have discussions about how we as an organization can collectively use our resources as efficiently as possible, says general secretary Karl-Petter Løken.
LEADERSHIP DUO: Karl-Petter Løken and Lise Klaveness sit at the top of the NFF hierarchy. Photo: Frode Hansen / VG
“His” salary is almost the same as ten years ago: the general secretary of the NFF received NOK 2.5 million in salary last year, including “other benefits” and pension expenses.
President Lise Klaveness earns more than two million kroner a year, if you include the same conditions. This is a solid increase from NOK 1.38 million ten years ago. The salary was previously discussed in VG.
International sports policy has been a priority area after Lise Klaveness was elected as the new football president. She employed Magnus Borgen in a newly created position as personal adviser.
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In addition, Christian Borgersrud became the new chief of staff shortly after Klaveness became football president. As far as VG understands, the position was never advertised, but Borgersrud was already employed by the union – after applying for, and getting, a management position in 2019.
CHIEF OF STAFF: Christian Borgersrud. Photo: NFF
Borgersrud previously worked with Lise Klaveness at Norges Bank.
– As in other workplaces, we also make changes in the organization where individual employees have their work tasks and job instructions changed. These are measures we are taking to develop the organization in line with the tasks we are to solve, and for employees to have internal career opportunities, says Løken.
– We have lived without an administrative resource for a while, after the previous one retired. Therefore, there is not tremendous growth within that segment. I will not comment on individual appointments, but I will still say that Christian is an incredibly good guy, and a fantastic resource for the NFF, he adds.
– Da Hege Riise resigned as national team manager, a new position in the NFF was created for her. Is it the case that you can only find new jobs for people when needed?
– In no way. Hege stepped into a role that has been in demand in recent years. Even Pellerud had an almost identical role in the past, and it has been missed. There is also an element of us having to push harder on the women’s side. We will see that in the wake of the WC this summer. We are happy that Hege wants to work in the NFF, and she is also working for the severance pay to which she was entitled. So it’s a win-win.
CHANGING JOB: Hege Riise was removed as national team manager, but got a new role in the NFF. Photo: Terje Pedersen / NTB
Karl-Petter Løken believes that a time of more sitting and gaming means that the football association must spend more resources on recruitment.
He talks about how increasingly incitement and threats must be dealt with, and that this requires new resources. And about VAR refereeing, which is also an increased expense.
– We must realize that yesterday’s answer is not necessarily tomorrow’s answer. Development is going fast. It also involves resourcing areas or functions that we did not previously have, he says.
At the same time, there is every reason to believe that salary expenses will continue to grow: Because expenses for the relatively recent project called the “Top of Europe” are not included in the 2022 figures VG brings today. They will only become visible in the annual report due next year.
The European top is a project that the NFF and Norwegian Top Football each spend NOK 15 million on per year, while Top Football Women spits in NOK 1.5 million. NOK 190 million has thus been set aside over a six-year period.
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Today, eight people are employed associated with the project.
– We must invest more – and not less – in the future to maintain and hopefully increase the number of people who want to play football, which is Norway’s most important public health movement. We also have to invest more if we are to be able to meet the increasingly tough international competition – take the lead on the women’s side and develop on the men’s side, says general secretary Karl-Petter Løken.
MUST BE LIFTED: Karl-Petter Løken and the NFF spend, among other things, a lot of money on lifting the Norwegian women’s national team back among the best. Here are Maren Mjelde and Caroline Graham Hansen after the loss to Japan in the WC. Photo: JON OLAV NESVOLD / BILDBYRÅN
He leads the country’s largest special association by far. Last year, before the former Rosenborg player was brought to the Ullevaal stadium, the NFF lost NOK 40 million.
This was due, among other things, to an overspend on the women’s national team of NOK 9.5 million, as well as an overspend on Ståle Solbakken’s national team of NOK 6.4 million.
– How do this year’s accounts look like?
– We are not planning for any deficit this year, says Løken.
– Surely all associations have that ambition?
– That is correct, but we aim to ensure that we do not lose money in 2023, says the NFF top.
PS. The income of the Norwegian Football Association on group levelwhich includes Ullevaal stadion Idrett AS, AS Ullevaal stadion and Idrettens Helsesenter AS, stood at NOK 870 million in 2013. By 2022, the figure had increased to NOK 1.2 billion.
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Published: 25/09/23 at 20:22
Updated: 25/09/23 at 20:38
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2023-09-25 18:22:06
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