The case in summary: • Norwegian football clubs have made good money from European Cup participation in recent years, with earnings increasing from NOK 74 million in 2016 to around NOK 386 million in 2023.• Three Norwegian teams, Brann, Molde and Bodø/Glimt, can this week reach league and group games in Europe, which can provide even greater earnings.• NFF and news experts believe that there is no reason to fear a class divide in Norwegian football due to the increased income.• The income from European Cup matches is important to create stability and build a top club over time, according to the general manager of Sportsklubben Brann, Christian Kalvenes. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. Although no Norwegian team has played in the Champions League for 17 years, Norwegian clubs have made good money on European Cup participation in recent years. Figures from the Norwegian Football Association (NFF) show that earnings for Norwegian clubs in connection with European Cup matches have increased from NOK 74 million in 2016 to around NOK 386 million in 2023. The sum is the total of payments from the European football association UEFA and match revenues, e.g. ticket revenue. Glimt could get 218 million The figures for 2024 could be even bigger. Three Norwegian teams can this week reach league play in Europe: Brann in the Serie Liga, Molde in the Europa League and Bodø/Glimt in the Champions League. Bodøværing beat Serbian Red Star 2-1 at Aspmyra last Tuesday. If they win overall after Wednesday’s second leg in Belgrade, the club is guaranteed around NOK 218 million in UEFA payments. – That the clubs manage to take a larger part of what happens outside of Europe is absolutely crucial for the future of Norwegian football, says news’s football expert Carl Erik Torp about the development. – It helps to professionalize Norwegian football clubs right down to the development models. The sales we have seen from Norwegian football have increased as Norwegian football has proven to be more competitive. It is an advertisement for Norwegian football that is absolutely crucial, he says. Bodø/Glimt won 2–1 against Røde Stjerne on Tuesday in the Mesterliga playoff. If they win overall, big sums await the yellow-clad ones. Photo: Mats Torbergsen / NTB Secretary General of the NFF and former Champions League hero for Rosenborg, Karl-Petter Løken, explains to news that there are several reasons why Norwegian clubs earn more money from European games now. – There has been more and more turnover in UEFA tournaments. This is distributed back to the clubs. Norwegian teams are also doing better in Europe. Then there will be more money for Norwegian football, he says. Not afraid of separation There may be a fear that if the money gallop is allowed to run rampant, that only the best clubs will profit from it. Neither Løken nor Torp are worried about that. – You can get bigger transfers between Norwegian clubs. If Bodø/Glimt gets 200 million, they can afford to buy a player for 10-15 million from Sarpsborg or Haugesund, says Torp. – This means that the money also benefits the other clubs, he says. Torp also points out that if Norwegian clubs do well internationally, it will be a bigger showcase for players who play in Norwegian clubs. – As a football lover and fond of Norwegian football, this is incredibly good news. For my part, you can’t do anything but cheer for all the Norwegian teams that are out in Europe. This also applies to all Norwegian players who represent their clubs, but not least Norway, says news’s football expert, with a past as a Brann player. Molde and Kristian Eriksen stumbled at home against Swedish Elfsborg in the first playoff game for the Europa League. The Moors must therefore win in Sweden in the return match. Photo: Svein Ove Ekornesvåg / NTB Karl-Petter Løken in the NFF also points out that the clubs that are in European football can spend more on players in other Norwegian clubs. – It contributes to investments in facilities, so that you can drive even better player development. And a good top also helps to pull the other clubs up with them, he says. – So no, I’m not afraid of a divorce. We need more money into Norwegian club football. It is very gratifying what we see now in terms of development, that we are able to assert ourselves, he continues. What does it mean for the clubs? General manager of Sportsklubben Brann, Christian Kalvenes, says that the income from European Cup matches is important for creating stability and building a top club over time. – Norwegian teams have their own ownership model. We don’t have a rich billionaire from the US or Europe. Then these revenues are incredibly important for the Norwegian clubs to grow and be run sustainably, he says. The money from European matches is incredibly important according to Christian Kalvenes Photo: Charlotte Haarvik Sanden Rosenborg made a name for themselves in European football in the 90s and 2000s when they were in the Champions League several times and beat teams such as Real Madrid, AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund. Now there are more on the ball, and that is a positive thing, Kalvenes is to be believed – If you have four or five teams fighting for these places, it raises the level of competition for the Norwegian clubs against the Scandinavian and European clubs. There is no doubt that it is important for Norwegian football, says Kalvenes. – Gives more people the opportunity to build a club Brann won 2-0 against Kazakhstan’s FC Astana in Bergen last Thursday. If they win the game away on Thursday, they are in the league game (formerly group stage) of the Serieligaen. – This is an important league for us, in which we have actually shown ourselves to be competitive. The Champions League is the cream of the cream of Europe and a narrow needle’s eye. The league gives the opportunity to build a club accessible to several Norwegian clubs, he says. Norwegian clubs can earn this this year If Bodø/Glimt qualify for the Champions League, they are guaranteed around NOK 217 million. Furthermore, they can earn approximately NOK 25 million for each win in the league game and NOK 8 million for a draw. They are already guaranteed league play in the Europa League. There they get NOK 50 million. Molde can qualify for the Europa League and will then be guaranteed NOK 50 million. They are already guaranteed league play in the Series League and thus also NOK 37 million. In the Europa League, you get NOK 5 million per win in the league game and NOK 1.7 million for a draw. Brann is the only Norwegian team that is still involved that is not guaranteed a sum of money. They can qualify for Serieligaen. Then they secure NOK 37 million. In Serieligaen, you get NOK 4.7 million for a win and NOK 1.5 million for a draw in the league game. The figures are taken from UEFA. Last year, Molde earned the most of all the elite league clubs, according to the Topfootballbarometer 2024. They earned NOK 345 million. A significant part of this comes from the success in the Europa League, says general manager Øystein Neerland. – It gives us the opportunity to build training facilities and develop the club, both on the women’s and men’s side. – Is it more important now than before to join Europe? – From an economic perspective, I would say that it is more important, as the sums are as large as they have become. For Molde Football Club, it is a goal every year to participate in league games as it is now, he says. Øystein Neerland says that the earnings can help develop the club on both the women’s and men’s side. Photo: Roar Strøm / news On Thursday, Molde lost 1–0 against Sweden’s Elfsborg in the Europa League playoff. Published 27.08.2024, at 10.54
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Norwegian clubs earn four times more from European games – news Vestland
