In the summer of 2022, Holme signed for the Spanish big club Levante. Bergensaren had impressed Toppserie club Arna Bjørnar, and wanted to try something new. Although several European clubs were interested, he wanted to go to Spain. – It was very good at the start, says Holme to news. The 21-year-old impresses on loan after the transfer. In the pre-season, he scores two goals in his first two matches, among other things against the top team Real Sociedad in a pre-season cup. But a brutal regime was soon to turn the impression on the stay. – Everything happened quite quickly. I’ve never come across it before. It wasn’t any fun at all. It felt like they took complete control over you. That you didn’t get to do what was right for your body, says Holme. Bergensavisa has previously reported on the case. HAD IT TOUGH: Holme believes she adapted to the culture in Spain quickly, but life was said to be gradually brutal. Photo: PHOTO: JAVIER MINGUEZ – Hanged up the weight of the players The 21-year-old says the amount of training at the Spanish club was great, and the focus on weight and body: Almost even greater. It costs. – They often weighed us every day and hung lists with the weight of players in the dressing room, visible to everyone. They also took food from me, says Holme and has a story from a breakfast fresh in her mind. Holme got a shock when they took the food from her. – It wasn’t right and they took the food from me. There was a culture of fear when it came to food. Then you were punished accordingly if they were not satisfied with how you were. That didn’t apply to everyone, the Bergensar insists. – What was one punished with? – It was extra training. Very heavy extra training. I was overtrained, she replies. WINGER: Holme describes himself as technical and good one on one. She thought Spanish football would suit her well. Photo: PHOTO: JAVIER MINGUEZ Lost her period Holme says she felt very good at the start and built more muscles. According to herself, the 21-year-old was described as one of the best trained in the club. But the regime eroded over time. In the last two months at the club, she lost weight, she says herself. Extreme heat of up to 50 degrees in Spain and a room without air conditioning, which the club reportedly did not want to help with, also contributed to making things worse. – It didn’t feel so good. I was much more relaxed. Surprisingly, I managed to keep up the training level, but you could tell it was eating away at the body. One day she realized that something was seriously wrong. – You realize that something is wrong when you miss your period, and have a weight loss of 14 kilos in two months, during the last period of your stay. It is an indication that the body is not in balance. Holme believes that there were several things that were unprofessional at the club. The sum of everything meant that just before the New Year she terminated the contract and moved home to Norway. She had had enough. – It was the body focus that was the worst – the punishment. news has predicted the criticism of Levante. In an answer they write that their approach to weight and fat percentage is the same for all sports. – It is about keeping the athlete in good muscle mass and fat values both for the development of optimal sports performance and to avoid injuries and maintain an optimal health situation. Furthermore, they provide the basis for weight control, including the prevention of overtraining and injuries. They also write the following about the coaches’ interest in the players’ weight. – The aim of the coaches is not that the footballers should have the lowest possible weight, but rather that they should have their ideal weight for practicing the sport, both at the level of best possible performance and least likely to suffer from an injury or health problem. The health check is carried out by the medical service. Finally, they feed on the culture of fear surrounding the nutrition of their athletes. – Culture of fear – Did you ever talk about these problems you mention? – I brought it up with the team, but they feared their positions so no one spoke up. It was not easy to convey anything because no one knew English. No one spoke to you. I tried my best with my beginner Spanish. They only spoke Spanish on the field as well. Holme thinks she took the level in the club lightly and describes the feeling as “wonderful”. It was good to have the confirmation that she reached the level in one of the best leagues in the world, she thought. The situation was still not livable. – I would not be part of such a regime. That one was not good. That is why I have chosen to tell about this. I didn’t want others to end up in the same situation and want to be open about what you might encounter. It is important that we women dare to speak up when we are in the middle of something we don’t think is right. There are too many serious cases of eating disorders in top sport and I didn’t want to be one of them. I have optimal expertise in the area, in a close relationship and know what it costs in life. Now the 21-year-old is without a club and is at home in Norway to train. She describes her form as good, and feels that she is back at the level she was before the difficult time in Spain. – Now it’s just a matter of trying to find what’s best. I want to come to a club that sees my skills, x-factor like my left foot, dribbling skills and speed. She is open to clubs in both Norway and Europe, she says about the upcoming club election.
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Madelen (21) says she was punished by refusing food – big team responds to serious debts – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
