She is the opposite of the average official and a big critic of the international association structures: Now the Norwegian Lise Klaveness wants a place on the highest UEFA body.
Lise Klaveness announced in a tweet on Thursday (23/02/2023) that she would officially apply for a seat on the UEFA Executive Committee. However, it had been clear for a week that the president of the Norwegian Football Association would run for office. The “UEFA-ExCo” is the supreme body of the European Football Association, which can make all important decisions in European football.
First head of a national association in the highest body
“It’s time for more women in leadership positions in European football. Never before has a national association president been elected to the UEFA ExCo. I’m ready,” wrote the 41-year-old, “I’m ready to embrace change work to protect the game and football.”
The fact that women are underrepresented on the UEFA Executive Committee is a key driver for her candidacy. “The lack of women’s viewpoints at the highest level undermines the advancement of our sport”, says the Norwegian. There is enormous expansion potential in Europe to offer millions of girls a comprehensive football experience.
Klaveness could have been contested for the only female quota position currently held by Welsh Laura McAllister. But she hopes to secure one of the seven open seats. She competes against ten male applicants, including ex-Bundesliga professional Levan Kobiashvili (Georgia), Jesper Möller Christensen (Denmark) and Philippe Diallo (France). If elected successfully, Klaveness would double the proportion of women on the board together with McAllister. The representatives to be elected will be decided at the UEFA Congress on 5 April in Lisbon.
The former professional footballer is considered a major critic of the existing structures of FIFA and UEFA. Shortly after her election as the Norwegian Football Association’s top official, she made a memorable speech at the Doha Congress at the end of March 2022, in which she took issue with FIFA and harshly criticized the awarding of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.
Klaveness for fairer distribution of funds
Klaveness is convinced that football must be preserved for all sections of the population and should no longer become the plaything of gigantic financial players.
“International football is facing fundamental problems that can shake its very foundations. We see that the European football model is under pressure from forces that want a different world order. It is crucial that we protect football so that we have fair competitions and the huge sums at the highest level also benefit the rest of football”Klaveness wrote in a recent post on the Norwegian Football Association’s website.
Declining numbers of players and volunteers are threatening the place of football in society, Klaveness said. Football is there for everyone, but unfortunately that is no longer a reality. “We must act now to ensure young people have equal opportunities to participate in football”said the NFF football president.
We must act now to ensure young people have equal opportunities to play football
Best prerequisites for a successful candidacy
A hard fight for the seven seats on the board is expected. Klaveness, mother of three sons, can look back on a very successful time as a professional soccer player in her home country. She played 73 times for the national team.
After that, the lawyer stayed with the Norwegian Football Association as a television commentator and technical manager for men’s and women’s football before becoming the association’s president. In addition to her powerful speech at the FIFA Congress, she became internationally known for her commitment to human rights at the World Cup in Qatar.