Vålerenga turmoil: These officials reportedly decided to sell Bjørdal

Henrik Bjørdal’s sale to Viking was reportedly decided by a four-member transfer committee, exposing a split inside Vålerenga over one of the club’s most controversial deals.

The committee consisted of Søren Eriksen and Tore Krogstad from Vålerenga Fotball Elite, along with Kjetil Siem and Anders Onarheim from Vålerenga Fotball AS, according to information obtained by VG. Onarheim reportedly had an observer role, while the club board was supposed to hold the majority.

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The club, and not the AS, always decides all purchases and sales.

Kjetil Siem, chairman of Vålerenga Fotball AS, wrote that “the club, and not the AS, always decides all purchases and sales.” Club chief executive Svein Graff said on Thursday that a transfer committee had responsibility for such decisions. New club chairman Ine Hope Karlsen confirmed that the same arrangement applied to Bjørdal’s sale.

The decision triggered strong reactions, and Søren Eriksen resigned as club chairman with immediate effect. Karlsen said Eriksen believed the rest of the board did not share his view of the sale, but she declined to elaborate.

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In Vålerenga Fotball Elite, we have for several years had a transfer committee with primary responsibility for making decisions in transfer matters, and the same was the case with the sale of Henrik Bjørdal.

The financial explanation has added to the dispute. Vålerenga did not need the Bjørdal transfer to meet its 2026 player-sales budget after Filip Thorvaldsen’s sale for about 60 million kroner earlier in the summer. VG reported that Bjørdal went for 25 million kroner. Graff said the club still had a deficit because of coaching changes and missed budget targets in other areas, so the transfer would help cover those gaps and provide financial strength for 2027.

Without player trading, Vålerenga has lost nearly 200 million kroner over the past three years, according to the report. Large sales have kept the results positive, while investor Tor Olav Trøim has covered the bill in years without them. Club leaders say the Bjørdal sale did not result from pressure by Trøim, whose agreement with the club runs until 2028.

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We have a deficit even though we meet the sales target. We have made coaching changes and have budget items that were not achieved in all areas. Taken together, this meant we sold Henrik to compensate for the other areas and to have financial strength going into 2027.