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New York Times
03-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Norway start slowly in their mission to re-establish themselves as a major footballing nation
At half-time in the bowels of St Jakob-Park in their Euro 2025 opener, the Norway players stared into a haunting mirror. The previous 45 minutes wasn't them — at least, not the Norway this talent-rich side and new manager Gemma Grainger had convinced themselves they were. The visitors slumped into the break 1-0 down against hosts Switzerland — the fourth-lowest ranked nation at the tournament behind Finland, Poland and Wales — courtesy of Eintracht Frankfurt wing-back Nadine Riesen's deserved goal in the 28th minute. Advertisement In one sense, fortune was kind. Powered by the stadium's guttural fervour, Switzerland had been running rampant down Norway's exposed right flank — yet Grainger's side were only one goal down, despite existing in mostly bystander mode. Towards the end of the opening half, Norway striker and Champions League record goalscorer Ada Hegerberg stretched her arms wide in the direction of Switzerland's goal, an ineffable attempt to remind her team of the assignment, of who they are: Norway. This was precisely the question being asked as Grainger was appointed in January 2024. In the hours before kick-off, a kind of Norwegian football war planning event took place in Basel's Marriott Hotel, UEFA's base in the city and the place where the Norway team were staying. As Grainger went through team meetings, elsewhere in the hotel, Lise Klaveness, the first female president in the Norway Football Federation (NFF)'s 120-year history, led a summit between club officials, grassroots organisations and other members of UEFA and the NFF. Klaveness, a member of UEFA's executive committee, has been one of the key driving forces behind Norway's mission to return to greatness, when gracing the final stages of major tournaments was not so much demanded as expected. Discussions on Wednesday focused on more holistic measures, including how to fully professionalise the Toppserien, Norway's semi-professional top flight, with teams such as Brann, Valerenga, Rosenborg and LSK Kvinner dominating on and off the pitch. Other conversations focused on the grassroots game and how they can better produce talent pathways to feed into the top-flight and the national team. The past decade has made untangling what exactly Norway are a maddening mental journey. The squad list presents a team of high-performance players: Hegerberg, Caroline Graham Hansen, Guro Reiten, Ingrid Engen, Frida Maanum. But the past decade presents the 1995 world champions in an increasingly fading light. Norway have crashed out of the group stages from the past two Euros. The World Cup stage has been kinder but only just — two last-16 berths and a quarter-final at the 2019 World Cup in the past decade. In 2017, Hegerberg, one year before winning the first Ballon d'Or Feminin, ceased representing her national side in protest over perceived inequalities within the Norwegian Football Federation and 'a huge difference over evaluations and how we should move forward'. In the following years, Norway have toiled for consistency. Grainger is the team's third head coach in three major tournaments. Martin Sjogren left after losing 8-0 against England in the Euro 2022 group stage and his successor, Hege Riise, stood down after the 3-1 last-16 defeat against Japan at the World Cup a year later, leaving the impression of a rotating carousel of doctors called to address the torment of a comatose giant. Advertisement It is why the first-half display in Basel inspired such introspection. Yet, less than 15 minutes after the interval, as Norway had turned it around to 2-1 in their favour, the feeling was that, perhaps, something is finally in the works. 'The thing that we pride ourselves on in this team is our work rate, our ability, and that wasn't the level that we wanted it to be,' Grainger told The Athletic when asked about the lethargic first half. 'We said it from the start. It's important to be honest, and when there needs to be trust and honesty, we're very comfortable doing that. It's not about how people are to the whole team. It's about being honest, it's about changing games at half-time. That's what the players did and they take all the credit for that.' To call Norway's win a smash-and-grab would be a disservice. In truth, they adjusted smartly at half-time, moving Vilde Boa Risa further wide to close the right channel that Riesen had been regularly exploiting — but it was Swiss naivety and two moments of brilliance that secured Norway their first victory against a host nation at a European Championship. First from Hegerberg, so often a moth to the tournament flame, then Graham Hansen, whose wiliness forced Swiss defender Julia Stierli into an own goal. Hegerberg then missed a chance to score from the penalty spot after a Swiss handball. Post-match sentiments from players were mixed. Boe Risa spoke about a sense of relief. Lyonnes midfielder Ingrid Engen refuted suggestions that any pressure was off. Norway, including that penalty, managed just eight shots (three on target), while Switzerland produced 17 (seven on target, illustrated below). Yet, Grainger chose to consider the win with more optimism. 'The biggest strength I have with this team is the recent history doesn't sit with me,' she said. 'I watched them in 2023, I watched them in 2022, but I don't feel any of it. I feel a team who I look at, and I'm proud to work with. We have unbelievable players. So to win this game, it shows we'll find a way to win.' Advertisement Any progress from the conversations that happened before, during and after the opening match will be felt long after this tournament's conclusion. But there is no doubting the influence a successful Euros campaign could have. On Sunday, Norway face Finland, who beat Iceland in a gripping opening match. Victory would confirm Norway's place in the knockouts, their first time doing so since 2013 when they reached the final in Sweden, losing 1-0 against Germany. Speaking to The Athletic before this summer's Euros, Grainger recalled that while in Nyon for the draw, a high-ranking member of a fellow national association quipped that there were no big teams in Group A. Norway's mission is simple: to re-establish themselves as a major footballing nation. Wednesday was a step in the right direction, but doing so will take more than a bright 14-minute cameo in the group stages.
Washington Post
28-06-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Euro 2025: Norway's female soccer leaders blaze a trail for equality and progress
GENEVA — In the male-dominated world of soccer leadership, many of the trailblazing women have come from Norway. The Norway team at the Women's European Championship is captained by the first Women's Ballon d'Or winner, Ada Hegerberg , and led by a female federation president, Lise Klaveness, who is one of just three such leaders among the 55 UEFA member countries.
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Euro 2025: Norway's female soccer leaders blaze a trail for equality and progress
FILE - Norway's Lise Klaveness, left celebrates after scoring against Ghana during a Group C match for the FIFA Women's World Cup soccer tournament held in Hangzhou, eastern China's Zhejiang province, Thursday, Sept 20, 2007. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File) FILE - Norway's Ada Hegerberg runs with the ball during the Women's World Cup soccer match between New Zealand and Norway in Auckland, New Zealand, Thursday, July 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Cornaga, File) FILE - Norwegian federation president Lise Klaveness speaks during the FIFA congress at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center in Doha, Qatar, on March 31, 2022. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar, File) FILE Chairwoman UEFA Women's Football Committee Karen Espelund, of Norway, looks on during the drawing of the matches for the 2017-19 European Qualifying Competition for the Women's Soccer World Cup at the UEFA Headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, Tuesday, April 25, 2017. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP) FILE Chairwoman UEFA Women's Football Committee Karen Espelund, of Norway, looks on during the drawing of the matches for the 2017-19 European Qualifying Competition for the Women's Soccer World Cup at the UEFA Headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, Tuesday, April 25, 2017. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP) FILE - Norway's Lise Klaveness, left celebrates after scoring against Ghana during a Group C match for the FIFA Women's World Cup soccer tournament held in Hangzhou, eastern China's Zhejiang province, Thursday, Sept 20, 2007. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File) FILE - Norway's Ada Hegerberg runs with the ball during the Women's World Cup soccer match between New Zealand and Norway in Auckland, New Zealand, Thursday, July 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Cornaga, File) FILE - Norwegian federation president Lise Klaveness speaks during the FIFA congress at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center in Doha, Qatar, on March 31, 2022. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar, File) FILE Chairwoman UEFA Women's Football Committee Karen Espelund, of Norway, looks on during the drawing of the matches for the 2017-19 European Qualifying Competition for the Women's Soccer World Cup at the UEFA Headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, Tuesday, April 25, 2017. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP) GENEVA (AP) — In the male-dominated world of soccer leadership, many of the trailblazing women have come from Norway. The Norway team at the Women's European Championship is captained by the first Women's Ballon d'Or winner, Ada Hegerberg, and led by a female federation president, Lise Klaveness, who is one of just three such leaders among the 55 UEFA member countries. Advertisement Klaveness, who played for Norway's team that was runner-up at Euro 2005, sees a decades-long tradition of the federation being progressive, promoting women and speaking out at international meetings. Before her, there was Karen Espelund, the first woman to join UEFA's executive committee, and Ellen Wille, whose speech at a FIFA congress helped create the Women's World Cup. They all worked with Per Omdal, a long-time federation president who in 2022 was awarded one of Norway's highest civic honors to recognize his support for women's soccer. 'We are not perfect at all,' Klaveness told The Associated Press in a recent interview. 'Of course everything can be better, but I feel like I inherited something proud and value-based.' Advertisement Captain Ada The captain of Norway's team at Euro 2025 in Switzerland — her squad will play in a group with the host, Finland and Iceland — fits perfectly into the national tradition. Hegerberg is a talented pioneer, winner of the first Ballon d'Or for women in 2018, and unafraid to have principles. The Lyon forward won the award in the second season of a five-year, self-imposed absence from the national team to protest a lack of equality for women from the federation. Even the award ceremony gave an unwanted opportunity for Hegerberg to show strong character and earn more admiration. Collecting the trophy on stage in Paris, she quickly shut down a French DJ's provocative comment about the sexualized dance twerking. Advertisement In 2022, within weeks of Klaveness being elected, Hegerberg ended her exile. 'Ada already now sees she's part of something bigger … the connection in history,' Klaveness told the AP, describing the captain as 'a very beloved player.' World Cup origin story Hegerberg's exile meant missing the 2019 World Cup in France, the eighth edition of a tournament FIFA's all-male leadership finally launched in 1991. Wille's words at FIFA's annual meeting in 1986 were key to that progress. A member of the Norwegian federation's executive committee, her speech urging FIFA to do more for women's tournaments was a rare female contribution to any debate at its congress. Advertisement Norway lost that first World Cup final to the United States but won the next title in 1995. UEFA pioneer At age 15 in 1976, Espelund was in the first wave of players when the Norwegian federation formally recognized women's soccer. She later played for the national team. In 2002, at a volatile FIFA congress, Espelund was a rare women in a leadership role as the federation's general secretary alongside president Omdal. Espelund took the platform to challenge FIFA's embattled then-president Sepp Blatter about its fragile finances ahead of him winning re-election. In 2011, with FIFA again in turmoil amid another controversial Blatter election and promises of governance reform, Espelund was appointed the first woman on the UEFA executive committee which she served for five years. Klaveness became the fourth in April. Advertisement Inspiring role model Klaveness, a labor lawyer and judge, made an international impact in her first month as Norwegian federation president. At FIFA's congress in Qatar on the eve of the 2022 World Cup tournament draw Klaveness was alone in drawing attention to the host nation's treatment of migrant workers and criminalization of homosexual acts, and soccer's responsibility to acknowledge the issues. She later pushed the case at the Council of Europe for migrant workers' families to be compensated. Klaveness describes Omdal, a former UEFA vice president, as 'still my mentor' whom she sees each week. 'He really fought for a women's league in Norway and (to) have 50% (representation) on boards.' Advertisement Now Klaveness is herself a role model for women in European soccer, including Norway's coach at Euro 2025, Gemma Grainger. 'I feel like Lise is a great example for me and for any female, to really stand by what she says,' Grainger told the AP. 'For her to stand up and talk so openly and fight for more than football is a true inspiration.' ___ AP soccer:
Associated Press
28-06-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Euro 2025: Norway's female soccer leaders blaze a trail for equality and progress
GENEVA (AP) — In the male-dominated world of soccer leadership, many of the trailblazing women have come from Norway. The Norway team at the Women's European Championship is captained by the first Women's Ballon d'Or winner, Ada Hegerberg, and led by a female federation president, Lise Klaveness, who is one of just three such leaders among the 55 UEFA member countries. Klaveness, who played for Norway's team that was runner-up at Euro 2005, sees a decades-long tradition of the federation being progressive, promoting women and speaking out at international meetings. Before her, there was Karen Espelund, the first woman to join UEFA's executive committee, and Ellen Wille, whose speech at a FIFA congress helped create the Women's World Cup. They all worked with Per Omdal, a long-time federation president who in 2022 was awarded one of Norway's highest civic honors to recognize his support for women's soccer. 'We are not perfect at all,' Klaveness told The Associated Press in a recent interview. 'Of course everything can be better, but I feel like I inherited something proud and value-based.' Captain Ada The captain of Norway's team at Euro 2025 in Switzerland — her squad will play in a group with the host, Finland and Iceland — fits perfectly into the national tradition. Hegerberg is a talented pioneer, winner of the first Ballon d'Or for women in 2018, and unafraid to have principles. The Lyon forward won the award in the second season of a five-year, self-imposed absence from the national team to protest a lack of equality for women from the federation. Even the award ceremony gave an unwanted opportunity for Hegerberg to show strong character and earn more admiration. Collecting the trophy on stage in Paris, she quickly shut down a French DJ's provocative comment about the sexualized dance twerking. In 2022, within weeks of Klaveness being elected, Hegerberg ended her exile. 'Ada already now sees she's part of something bigger … the connection in history,' Klaveness told the AP, describing the captain as 'a very beloved player.' World Cup origin story Hegerberg's exile meant missing the 2019 World Cup in France, the eighth edition of a tournament FIFA's all-male leadership finally launched in 1991. Wille's words at FIFA's annual meeting in 1986 were key to that progress. A member of the Norwegian federation's executive committee, her speech urging FIFA to do more for women's tournaments was a rare female contribution to any debate at its congress. Norway lost that first World Cup final to the United States but won the next title in 1995. UEFA pioneer At age 15 in 1976, Espelund was in the first wave of players when the Norwegian federation formally recognized women's soccer. She later played for the national team. In 2002, at a volatile FIFA congress, Espelund was a rare women in a leadership role as the federation's general secretary alongside president Omdal. Espelund took the platform to challenge FIFA's embattled then-president Sepp Blatter about its fragile finances ahead of him winning re-election. In 2011, with FIFA again in turmoil amid another controversial Blatter election and promises of governance reform, Espelund was appointed the first woman on the UEFA executive committee which she served for five years. Klaveness became the fourth in April. Inspiring role model Klaveness, a labor lawyer and judge, made an international impact in her first month as Norwegian federation president. At FIFA's congress in Qatar on the eve of the 2022 World Cup tournament draw Klaveness was alone in drawing attention to the host nation's treatment of migrant workers and criminalization of homosexual acts, and soccer's responsibility to acknowledge the issues. She later pushed the case at the Council of Europe for migrant workers' families to be compensated. Klaveness describes Omdal, a former UEFA vice president, as 'still my mentor' whom she sees each week. 'He really fought for a women's league in Norway and (to) have 50% (representation) on boards.' Now Klaveness is herself a role model for women in European soccer, including Norway's coach at Euro 2025, Gemma Grainger. 'I feel like Lise is a great example for me and for any female, to really stand by what she says,' Grainger told the AP. 'For her to stand up and talk so openly and fight for more than football is a true inspiration.' ___ AP soccer:
France 24
26-06-2025
- Sport
- France 24
More fans, more investment: Women's Euro 2025 is set to make history
Around 1,000 fans were on hand when England played one of the very first matches of the inaugural Women's European Championship in 1984. How things have changed. More than half a million tickets have already been sold for the 31 matches of this year's edition of the tournament, which kicks off next week in Switzerland. Organisers expect to break the attendance record of 575,000 set at the previous women 's euros in England in 2022 when 87,000 people packed into Wembley Stadium for the final. The popularity of women's soccer in Europe – and around the world – has accelerated in leaps and bounds in recent years. Players are becoming stronger, faster and more technically skilled, making the game more entertaining to watch. While it hasn't yet closed the gap with men's soccer in revenue, the women's game is seeing rapid growth in investment at both the international and club level. Players who started their careers over a decade ago say the pace of change has been stunning. 'If you look at a match from five years ago, it has nothing to do with the ones being played now,' said Barcelona's two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas, who made her senior debut in 2010. The 31-year-old Spain midfielder told The Associated Press that her generation and earlier generations never thought they would be able to make a living from playing soccer when they grew up. 'For sure it's about making our sport a little more visible, so that girls can dream of being soccer players," she said. 'I think that in recent years there has been a very good evolution. In the end, we just needed people to invest in us, to help us improve, and I think that change is happening." Governing bodies have set up initiatives to drive the game forward, such as European soccer body UEFA's 'Unstoppable' strategy – aimed at making football the most-played team sport for women and girls in every European country by 2030, while increasing the number of professional leagues across the continent. A major shift has happened at the club level, as Europe's powerhouse clubs such as Barcelona, Real Madrid and Chelsea started taking women's soccer seriously. More women's leagues across Europe have turned professional over the past decade, inspiring a new generation of female soccer players. 'In the last decade real progress happened, especially on the club side. You see real professionalization,' Norway FA president Lise Klaveness told AP. 'It is very important to have a full pyramid that girls can see that they can have this as a job.' She said the real DNA in soccer is the connection with local clubs. 'We haven't really had that with women. Now you see it more and more,' she said. She added that many top leaders on the men's side show real ambitions to raise their women's teams. 'If you meet the Arsenal president or (Joan) Laporta at Barcelona he feels very close to his women's team. When the women's team plays, he is there,' Klaveness said. As the club game has gotten bigger – England's top women's league is expanding – so have the international competitions. At Euro 1984, there were just four teams in the inaugural tournament: England, Italy, Sweden and Denmark. It wasn't until 1997 that it was expanded to eight teams, becoming 12 in 2009 and increased to the current format of 16 from the 2017 edition. At Euro 2009 there was an average attendance of just over 5,000 at the matches in England. In the same country in 2022, the average was 18,544. And just as attendance levels have soared, so have television viewing figures. Euro 2022 had a global cumulative live viewership of 365 million across TV, out-of-home viewing and streaming. That was more than double the number of live viewers compared to the 2017 edition (178 million) and 214% more live viewers than in 2013 (116 million). The rise in attendances is also evident in club soccer as women start playing in stadiums with bigger capacities and clubs start to invest more in their women's teams. A couple of Barcelona's Women's Champions League matches in 2022 drew more than 90,000 fans. A major change that's happened in recent years is investors are now looking at women's soccer as something you can make money off, said Seattle Reign coach Laura Harvey, who coached Arsenal and Birmingham City in her native England before moving to the US. 'For those of us who've been in this a long time – I was Birmingham City's head coach in 2006 – and to think where the game's evolved in 19 years or whatever it's been, it's just wild,' she told AP. 'I'm glad that I can be part of it.' The continued growth in popularity of women's soccer has the knock-on effect of more sponsorship, more prize money and more to invest in grassroots soccer and clubs. In 2017, UEFA made what was perceived as a bold move: unbundling sponsorship rights for its women's competitions and selling the commercial rights separately from the men's. That was done with the express purpose of 'accelerating the growth of women's football competitions' and was considered a success. So much so that FIFA has followed suit, as have governing bodies of other sports. UEFA now counts 11 dedicated women's soccer partners among its wider portfolio, including Visa, Amazon and Adidas. There are more than 20 sponsors for Euro 2025 and that revenue is projected to increase by 145% compared to 2022, according to UEFA. 'The impact of Women's Euro 2025 extends far beyond the competition itself,' UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin said in a report last month. 'With record prize money and unprecedented interest from sponsors, the tournament will bring more investment into the women's game than ever before.' The prize pot at Euro 2025 has been set at € 41 million ($47 million), more than double the € 16 million ($18.3 million) received by national associations in 2022. Moreover, players will receive a guaranteed share from their national associations for the first time. The men's Euro 2024 had a total prize fund of € 331 million ($347 million), with each of the 24 teams receiving a minimum of € 9.25 million and champion Spain earning € 28.25 million. UEFA's aim is that Euro 2025 will act as a catalyst for further progress in the women's professional game in Switzerland and across Europe. However, Klaveness has a warning: that the richest leagues shouldn't financially separate themselves completely from the currently semi-pro ones. 'Now I think the next step that's really important to go further now is … not to let the head move away from the body, then we would do the same as the men's side,' she said.
