More than half a year has passed since the annual meeting in March. The evening Jean Toure Kier apologized after being accused of attempting a coup d’état.
Amidst the chaos, the former Vålerenga champions came with a desire to clean up and bring home the trophy. A trophy they win about once every year, but have had to look away in recent years which in the capital has become a reminder of what once was.
Anders Myhrvold has been a part of the chaos before. It used to be windy and has had great cleaning jobs in the past. Now, in the turmoil, he finally thought the conditions were right to build a winning team in Jordal.
He found the desire, will and energy to chase gold with Vålerenga. I’ve waited so long.
We’re bleeding for this gold. We don’t hide it, says Myrvold.
– He obviously made a mistake
Myrvold had previously been asked to contribute to the club, but previous disagreements between the club’s board and shareholders prevented him from joining the club.
– I was not interested in being a part of this conflict. If I’m going to contribute my experience, that knot needs to be untied. When I was asked again, before the annual meeting, which was so chaotic and exciting, and they made the changes they did, I felt motivated and fired up. Before the annual meeting, I was in dialogue with the shareholders, and we knew that if we were going to make this happen, we were going to have to work together. He says I was ready to fight that battle.
How did you experience the atmosphere in the club at the time?
– When there are conflicts and a lot is said, with the media involved, the ice hockey club is not lucky. There are a lot of people who care about Vålerenga and there was a lot of emotion. From the outside it didn’t look particularly good. Inside it was turbulent and many conflicts. Myhrvold replies that it was not a good thing.
Responding to criticism: Anders Myhrvold has been criticized a lot in the past six months. In the latest episode of TV 2 Hockeyprat, he responds to criticism. Photo: Erlend Borren Kristoffersen
At the annual meeting, former Vålerenga player Brede Csiszar joined the board. There he sat for six weeks before resigning and serving a volley of force against those who remained.
– I’ve never been so embarrassed to have my name attached to Vålerenga as I was after what happened to Søberg. This is the reason for my resignation. He told TV 2, I want people to understand that I didn’t get involved in the processes and the way I talk to people.
He was referring to the way Steven Sobergh, who had been at the club for ten years, was told he wasn’t wanted any more.
– Do you understand Cesar’s reaction?
– If the board and the club have to work, it is important that we take it. Csiszar clearly made a mistake here. He went out and shared with the Norwegian people what was in his heart about the club, which he knew would get negative publicity. It was a selfish act, Myhrvold responds to criticism.
In the latest episode of the TV 2 Hockeyprat podcast, you can hear the full interview with Myrvold, where he explains, among other things, Søberg’s letter and admits he would have liked to have seen it not picked up on the phone, Bonsachsen’s negotiations, Fredrik Andersson’s appointment and signings They were made and why they wanted Christian Casastole:
– We are against the world
It is precisely this, with not many controversies involved in the club, that worries him.
Take conflicts seriously and appear stronger. Many settings went wrong all the time. It was like an open book. Now it is important that we stick together and work out what we need to do. Then we appear as a unit. He says I feel we are on our way to becoming.
Does a lot of negative things written and said bother you?
– It’s always good to get positive feedback, but I’ve had the experience of sharing a bit when it was stormy before. I know the media inside and out. I knew when I entered Valerenga that it was windy here. We were very clear that we had to protect ourselves. We are against the world. What comes out we have to stand together. Then there will be criticism if we do it and positive if we do well, Myrvold answers in the podcast.
After returning to Vålerenga, he made a number of headlines. The club was without a doubt the club that, for better or for worse, had the most coverage in the national media.
However, he, who was behind many decisions, was relatively invisible in the media.
Is it a conscious strategy?
– Absolutely. very aware. There were many operations and a lot of work. We have to show that something is coming out of the processes before we can even start talking. I can’t be somewhere for fifteen minutes and then have a long hookup. He answers: It is important that we do things right.
Long process: Anders Myhrvold (left), when his team introduced Fredrik Andersson as Valerenga coach. The club worked for several weeks to secure his signature. Photo: Yngve Sem Pedersen/TV 2
Unlimited money
In a TV 2 overview of the finances of teams in the Fjordkraft league, which was changed after publication, it was shown that Vålerenga spent a lot of money on their players.
Later, they also signed two import players and got rid of another player.
How much leeway do you have financially?
– In my role, tell stakeholders what they want and what the team needs. It would be like selling something. Does this sound okay? what do you mean by that? So they do not participate in sports, but they think that it is fun and that they deserve to be part of the operations, so there must be a willingness on their part, replies the head of the sports committee.
At the same time, Myrvold explains in the episode that there is never unlimited money in Vålerenga, even though it is an expensive team he helped build.
With the money that has been used and the work that has been put in, it also does not hide the fact that only gold is enough for this season.
– There’s no doubt we want gold back home to Jordal after 13 years without NM gold, he says.
You can hear the full episode over here.
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