Football: Demands for a replay of the reversed cup match

Lillestrom chairman Morten Kochem does not want to change the Norwegian football championship, and believes that the board of directors of the Norwegian Football Association is not the right place to decide whether the championship should be turned upside down.

In contrast, the LSK leader says that Norwegian football’s annual ‘general meeting’ – Football thingFootball thingThe one for the Norwegian Football Association, known as the Association Parliament or the Football Parliament. It is the top Norwegian football body. – A decision must be made on whether the Cup from 2024 will start in the fall and end with a final in the spring.

The latter is a recommendation from the Hangeland Committee, which recently introduced several measures for Norwegian football.

– This is good as an input, but not as a basis for decision making. It will be difficult to make a decision on this basis. Kochem believes this could be a starting point for discussion.

He believes that the entire Norwegian football club should be allowed to participate in this debate. Football in March is a natural meeting point, he says. On Wednesday morning, Kochem sent a letter to the management of the Norwegian Football Association and explained his point of view.

– But the National Football Association Board of Directors has every right to change its own leagues?

– Yes, they were appointed to manage it. But I don’t think that when they got that mandate, it was that broad. Kochem says it’s worth a broader discussion than just a recommendation from a committee and a decision from the board.

The LSK leader also does not believe that the cup should last for two calendar years. And he is not alone in that.

Stromsgodset They have come out with their say, and chairman Tuva Ørbeck Sørheim at Vålerenga and Cecilie Gotaas Johnsen at Rosenborg confirmed to VG that the two big city clubs will keep the cup as it is today with the final in the fall.

And 30 of the 32 top clubs were of the same opinion when the future of the cup was under discussion a year ago.

So far, there is a two-thirds majority in favor of keeping the cup in its traditional form, confirms Kato Hauge from Norsk Toppfotball, the interests organization of the 32 clubs in the Elitserien and Uposligaen League.

When Breid Hangeland presented the committee’s recommendation last week, he also admitted that several top clubs had made comments that they did not want to hand over the trophy.

– I have numbers, but I don’t remember the percentage of power, said the assistant coach of the Norway men’s national team at the time.

However, the Cup could be converted into a tournament starting in the fall and ending the following spring, if the NFA Board of Directors followed the recommendation of the Hangeland Commission.

First, the interested Norsk Toppfotball organization will make a decision on the proposal at its board meeting on Wednesday afternoon.

– Then we expect the clubs to be listened to, according to Tuva Ørbeck Sørheim in Vålerenga – and thus pass the ball to the NTF.

But the NTF could go against the majority among member clubs, says board chairman Kato Hauge.

– The answer to that is that of course you can. Then the question is whether it is wise. It is important to see what the process was like. A broadly composed committee was formed, with clubs having significant representation on the committee. This committee has worked professionally for a long time to find out what is wise, Kato Hauge tells VG.

The NTF president believes clubs will respond differently to questions about the cup now that they have seen what the Hangeland committee has presented, among other things.

– There are not enough dates for matches. We have four teams in the European Cup, and we may have five teams in the future. In addition, FIFA and UEFA have imposed further restrictions on when we can play football. In addition, it is not optimal to play the cup final in mid-December. Someone needs to see the whole picture and say so. Hogg says: These are facts, and this has nothing to do with what I mean.

On the other hand, Morten Kochem in Lilleström was not convinced by these arguments.

– Did you know how the European Football Association (UEFA) will change the schedule of European Cup matches in the coming seasons?

– No, this preparation came on Friday, and I saw what they published about it. I will look into that closely. Morten Kochem answers: Give me 14 days with good people, and I will come up with an alternative proposal.

We do not oppose making the necessary arrangements for the national team and European Cup matches. But one must be careful not to do it at the expense of Norwegian clubs, which should be the most important thing we do, says Lillestrom’s manager.