– Had I heard what the secretary general said, I wouldn’t have done it
be several press conferencessays Bråthen in the book “Hoppsjel”.

The quote supposedly comes as a result of the fact that the then Secretary General of the Norwegian Ski Association, Ingvild Bretten Berg, had stated at a digital rally on October 21, 2021 that the reason why it took weeks to resolve the inflamed problem. the jump conflict that occurred prior to last season, is that Hopp opted out in the media.

The meeting must be held at least 30 minutes before the press conference, at which the Ski Association and Bråthen can finally announce that they have reached an agreement.

– When I heard Bretten Berg, I understood right away that this conflict is unfortunately not over. He clearly wanted Hopp very little, an anonymous Hopp employee said in the book.

Bråthen did not catch Bretten Berg’s introduction to the rally. If he did, there would be no new deals, he said.

– If I heard what he said there, at the same time that I received the press release, there would be no press conference. Then I will tear up the agreement, Bråthen told NTB.

NTB has been in contact with Bretten Berg in relation to the allegations about and against him. He didn’t want to comment on them.

“The claims from the referenced book relate to personnel issues that were resolved more than a year ago. In personnel matters, the Norwegian Ski Association as the employer has an obligation of confidentiality, a duty which also goes beyond the resolution of cases,” he wrote in an email.

The meeting that almost ruined everything

Ahead of a very special press conference taking place at the Ski Association’s venue at the Ullevaal stadium, it was anything but a quiet day for those involved.

A quarter of an hour before Bretten Berg introduced himself at the rally, the Ski Association had drafted the press release they were going to send.

In a press release, they should have written that the solution was essentially the same as the one they had previously offered to Bråthen. Bretten Berg also came up with a quote:

“This case has become a huge burden on everyone involved and our focus going forward will be to work purposefully to re-create trust externally and internally, at least between all employees in the Ski Association’s branches, circles and joint functions. Respecting the basic rules of the game in working life, the working environment with us and the Ski Association as an organization is very important. We have a big job ahead of us.”

This convinced Bråthen and his lawyers in LO. They believe the content of the agreement is very similar to what Hopp, not the Ski Association, proposed at the end of September.

– I’m ready to tear up the contract. What a press release masterpiece, said Bråthen.

The sports manager’s attorney thus announced that they would be writing an alternative press release. This should have caused the Ski Association to offer a deal that they wouldn’t send their press release, if Bråthen didn’t either. They agreed to it.

– Obvious attempt to surprise

The book explains why Bråthen and the lawyers emphatically rejected the Ski Association press release:

“First, the compromise, the deal that will be presented in just a few minutes, is almost identical to what the LO lawyers had proposed a few weeks ago. Second, they saw the Ski Association press release as a decidedly shocking endeavor.”

In the end, the press conference became a less dramatic event, in which it became clear that Bråthen would take on the role of manager of the national team, and Ståle Villumstad as acting sports manager.

After the “Bråthen case”, Erik Røste was not re-elected as ski president and Bretten Berg resigned as general secretary of the Norwegian Ski Association. He agreed with his employer on a severance agreement.

This book was written by the authors Astrid Versto and Terje Svab, who were close friends of Bråthen. It will also be published by Bråthen’s daughter publisher, SR Brthen.