Women's football in Norway
Wednesday, July 6, 2022
Article summary
Ada Hegerberg is the brightest star in Norway's dazzling firmament, but the country's influence is just as profound in the administration of the game at the highest levels.
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History
Golden legacy
Norway actually trailed its Nordic neighbours in embracing women's football in the late 1970s but soon made up for that, winning four major titles between 1987 and 2000 – and becoming the first nation to have been world, European and Olympic women's champions. Boasting stars such as Ada Hegerberg and Caroline Graham Hansen, and with well over 100,000 active female players, Norway remains a capital of women's football. It produces trailblazers off the pitch too, with former internationals Karen Espelund and Lise Klaveness rising to the top in football administration on the UEFA Executive Committee and as Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) president respectively.
Best UEFA competition performance
Senior: UEFA Women's EURO winners (1987, 1993)
Youth: UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship runners-up (2001, 2003, 2008, 2011)
Other honours
Senior: FIFA Women's World Cup winners (1995), Women's Olympic Football Tournament winners (2000)
Women's football pioneer
Lise Klaveness was capped 73 times by Norway, despite surviving serious food poisoning while on holiday in Africa, and also qualified as a lawyer while playing. After retirement, she became a judge and, possibly unrelated, a TV football pundit, before joining the NFF and rising to become their first female president this year.
"I feel that I'm stepping into the line of many other leaders, both women and men. Football is the biggest women's sport in Norway, and it's not like we are a minority. I'm proud to be able to work together with all those who have already broken the gender barrier."
Milestone moments
On the pitch…
The first FIFA Women's World Cup in Europe produced the first European champions as Norway, with goals from Hege Riise and Marianne Pettersen, beat Germany 2-0 in the final on 18 June 1995 in Solna, Sweden. The team were given a ceremonial escort home by two military aircraft and landed to a huge reception.
…and off it
Even before Klaveness, Karen Espelund – a successful player and capped twice by Norway – rose up the NFF ranks to become general secretary, and then in 2011 became the first woman to join the UEFA Executive Committee. She remains in football on the board of hometown club Rosenborg.
Game changer
The 2-1 win against Sweden in front of more than 8,000 fans in Oslo to clinch the European title in 1987 was the beginning of a golden era, with players including Heidi Støre and Trude Stendal already in the team and soon to be joined by the likes of Riise, Gro Espeseth and Ann Kristin Aarønes. The triumphs of that period ensured Norway's place at the top table of women's football.
Here and now
Junior/Senior: Playing perspectives
Midfielder Julie Blakstad is 20 and made her senior debut in 2020. Team-mate, Maren Mjelde is 32 with over 150 international appearances to her name.We ask the Norway pair about their journeys and the stars they looked up to on the way.
Mjelde: I started to think of a career as a footballer when I was around 14 or 15. I started having a dream of maybe playing abroad. It was mainly Germany and the US that were the big countries to go to at that time.
Blakstad: I have had some really good coaches since I was a little girl and I think from right at the beginning, starting at my club in a little place called Ottestad - I had two great coaches that helped me a lot and they made plans for me because I wanted to achieve something bigger than the rest of the girls.
Against the odds
Vilde Bøe Risa's father, Terje Risa, introduced her to the game and inspired her to follow in his footsteps. The Norway midfielder reflects on his influence, coping with his death nine years ago and her mother's support as she returned to the game.
Joining the game in Norway
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Trailblazers exhibition
"Trailblazers" is a unique exhibition that showcases the work of European artists given a blank canvas to celebrate women’s football. UEFA invited artists from participating nations in this summer’s tournament to create an image inspired by the game in their country. Norway's representative is Kine Kjær: "I wanted my artwork to represent a part of the traditional Norwegian culture, and I chose to illustrate a woman wearing the Bunad from Nordland (Nordlandsbunad) wich is the area where I ́m from. My first real mind-blowing memory of football is when Norway won against Brazil in 1998. Norway was behind, but during the last 10 minutes or so actually scored two goals and won 2-1!"
Investing for the future
Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) strategy
The overall NFF strategy plan for 2020-23 addresses five core areas of club development, player and coaching development, national team and elite clubs, women's football and facilities development.
Within those areas, one of the key projects is to develop more female coaches at the elite level. Successful candidates for the development project were given individual development courses tailored to the needs of the individual. They received the course fee for UEFA A and UEFA Pro levels and were assigned personal mentors. The project runs until the end of 2022.
Women's Football Development Programme (WFDP)
Since 2010, UEFA's WFDP has provided associations with funding and tools to increase participation, improve standards and build infrastructure to help keep the female game growing. The female elite coaches programme is an example of a project funded by the WFDP.