The alliance’s spokesperson Ole Kristian Sandvik does not hide the fact that he is cursed. Løken, secretary general of the Norwegian Football Association, appeared unannounced to the members at the extraordinary annual meeting where a vote was to be taken on whether FFK should be for or against VAR technology in Norwegian football.
– I am concerned about the entire legitimacy of the process. Trust in the union among many supporters was incredibly low before. Lise Klaveness (football president) has said that the NFF should sit back and let the clubs run their own processes. And at the first opportunity, the Secretary-General appears and argues for his side. It is incredibly special, says Sandvik to NTB.
He continues:
– The NFF’s board has said that it should not interfere in the debate in the clubs. Then the secretary-general must understand that he must decline if he is invited. They say one thing and then do the exact opposite at the first opportunity.
Think Løken secured a majority
It was the Fredrikstad board that had invited Løken to the annual meeting, and he was well prepared. He was greeted by boos from some in the room before he gave both the opening and closing remarks and showed a video presentation.
During the vote itself, the proposal that the club should work to abolish VAR was voted down by 70 votes to 65.
– That (Løken’s post) most likely tipped the majority. With three people from the front who had voted the opposite way, Fredrikstad had been against VAR. Of course, the general secretary of the NFF has so much authority that he manages to overturn three people, Sandvik believes.
For the record: Karl-Petter Løken was formally entitled to stand at FFK’s annual meeting. According to the Norwegian Sports Confederation’s regulations, a representative of a superior organizational unit can present at annual meetings with the right to speak.
– But that doesn’t mean he has to do it. The NFF is so out of step with football democracy right now, says Sandvik.
Confidence in the process?
In connection with the presentation of the work to the Working Group VAR committee in August, football president Lise Klaveness stated that the association would let the processes in the clubs take their course towards the owners’ meeting in Norwegian Top Football in January.
There, it will be decided which attitude the top clubs’ interest organization should have towards VAR towards the football parliament.
– We will wait for this basis (from the VAR committee), we will wait for the NTF’s recommendation. And before that, the federal board must not form an opinion on this matter, nor communicate it, said Klaveness.
Løken does not sit on the NFF board, but is the union’s top administrative leader. Sandvik in the NSA says that it will be difficult for Supporter-Norge to trust the NFF in the future.
– They say one thing and do the opposite. How can we trust what they say otherwise, if at the first opportunity they run this power game here? he asks.
– I would have been equally cursed if the vote in Fredrikstad had gone the other way. Because it is about trust in the process, which the NFF has also claimed that they have been so concerned about.
NTB has been in contact with the Norwegian Football Association in connection with Sandvik’s play, but the association has not yet responded to the comments.