– I understand the views, but I think it’s really sad, says marketing and media manager in Vålerenga, Jens August Dalsegg to news. He despairs over a number of supporter groups’ action against the play-off system in the Toppserien. He believes it is sad for the players that several supporters are now apparently not going to show up at matches during the play-offs. – I can buy that the arguments that the play-offs are not “the thing in the bucket”. With support from the stands, the opportunities to perform increase. It’s just a sad situation. – Are you going to do something active to get them to turn around? – We have no need to go out with them. We will certainly invite them for a chat. No washing up meeting. We just have to explain why this is sad. The players relate well to what is set, even if not everyone likes it, Dalsegg replies. THANK THE FANS: Vålerenga thanked the fans at home against Brann earlier this year. Photo: Beate Oma Dahle / NTB Hard against the system Several supporter groups do not want to recognize the new playoff system in the Toppserien and have signed a joint statement that was published on Tuesday morning. – We do not recognize the play-offs as a real series competition, as it goes against, among other things, the basic principle of the series that every match counts equally, wrote Brann’s supporter group, Brann Bataljonen, on their Twitter account. They are supported by Klanen (Vålerenga), Kanarifansen (Lillestrøm), Stabæk Support and Kjernen (Rosenborg). The supporter groups say that they are now not going to organize anything during the Toppserien play-offs. – We wholeheartedly support the protest against play-offs in the Toppserien and football in general. It is a recipe for watering down the combat experience and not least making it more difficult to follow and understand for people who are moderately interested, says leader of the Clan, Erling Rostvåg, to news. Dalsegg in Vålerenga believes there must be a change quickly. – You have to clean up the soup you have made. This has become a farce. They have created a system here that will not be liked. You have to work here, we can’t have it here next year, he points out. CRITICAL: Several supporter groups say they will not organize anything during the playoffs. Photo: Geir Olsen / NTB Many critics As news has discussed previously, many in the Toppserien have been strongly critical of the current league system. In short, the series system means that all ten teams play each other twice, before the series is split in two with the four best teams on one side and the six weakest, as well as the two best 1st division teams, in the other play-off. So it is this series system that causes the supporter groups to turn on all the plugs. They are clear on who they will recognize as the winner of the Toppserien. They believe that the team that is on top after August 28 will get the legitimate league gold and their tribute. – What is your goal with this action? – To wind up the playoffs. That is the simple answer. That we will never see this again in Norwegian football, says leader of the Battalion, Erlend Ytre-Arne Vågane to news. Earlier this year, a survey carried out by news, to which 108 Toppserien players responded, showed that only one player was satisfied. 98 players will scrap the system next season. Spokesperson for Kjernen, Espen Viken, says that it was the Battalion that took the initiative for the recent action. – It is quite simply the case that the vast majority of organized supporters in Norway do not recognize play-offs as a form of series competition. HOPE: – We love to get support, so we really hope that they will come and support us, says Tuva Hansen. Photo: Linnea Skare Oskarsen / news – To be evaluated Fire player Tuva Hansen encourages the NFF to listen to the supporters. She believes it is healthy and good that they have opinions. Nevertheless, the national team player adds: – We hope they will come, because they have made such a big splash around the Toppserien this year. We love to get support, so we really hope that they will come and support us, says Hansen to news. WILL EVALUATE: Nils Fisketjønn and the Norwegian Football Association will evaluate the playoff system in the Toppserien after the season. Photo: Terje Pedersen / NTB Nils Fisketjønn, competition director in the Norwegian Football Association, says he has not registered the action, but gives this as a comment to news: – The play-off was decided by the parliament three years ago. It was not carried out for two years due to the pandemic, but has now been introduced. The series structure will be evaluated, then we will see what this entails. Top football manager in the NFF, Truls Dæhli, looks at the debate with a two-fold view. – It is stupid if it means that the clubs and the matches at the end do not get an audience. That is the sad side of it, but the fact that there are strong opinions and commitment we cannot look at negatively, says Dæhli to news. He explains that the series system was adopted because the arrows for Norwegian women’s football were pointing downwards. But he understands that there are strong opinions on the matter, and points out that the system must be evaluated after the season. – There was a very clear desire from many to change the system so that you had sharper competition and became better at competing in Europe first and foremost, he says. – We have to deal with it and then everyone has to attack that system in the best possible way. It is also possible to take advantage of the opportunities that are there. We get through that the best play more matches against the best. It suggests that we will have fierce competition at the very top and then there are other aspects of it that I understand are being discussed. Then we’ll see when the season is over how the evaluation will be, concludes the top football manager.
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