In a clip shown during Viaplay’s launch in the Premier League on Wednesday afternoon, the league’s new rights holders in Norway hinted that they had been working on an Erling Braut Haaland documentary.
In the clip, you see, hitherto, an unseen interview from February in which Haaland talks about which club was relevant at the time.
The main person behind this project is Jan ge Fjørtoft of Viaplay. Few are closer to Braut Haaland than the 55-year-old. He called the clip that the media saw as a “teaser” of a project they were working on.
– We worked closely with them and documented this game which has been around the next club, Fjørtoft told Dagbladet.
AT THE LEAD: Jan ge Fjørtoft is at the forefront of the Haaland documentary Viaplay is working on. Photo: Shad Madian / Dagbladet
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– Great access
He said that there were still things that needed to be worked out and that both sides had to agree before the entire documentary saw the light of day. He still reveals that they have a lot of “gold” in stock.
– It’s been an amazing journey to see and follow a 21 year old boy from Bryne who will become one of the biggest stars in the world.
– You have met him several times during this process or?
– Yes, we have good access to what has happened. We (Viaplay) have followed him all the way and we have shown the Bundesliga all the time. “I’m not going to say this for sure, but I’m probably one of those who’ve seen the most Borussia Dortmund games in the last two years, so we’re getting closer and we hope we can deliver that,” said Fjørtoft.
IMPORTANT STONE: Alfie Haaland’s father. Photo: AFP / NTB
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Intense play
The former Premier League player regularly shares news of the transfer saga on Twitter. He said the game around Haaland, and especially in Germany, had been “very intense”.
– People wonder why it took so long and why it wasn’t published earlier, but one has to remember that this is a one billion deal. There was so much deliberation to take and it wasn’t easy for Haaland to stroll around the landscape and talk to the club. He has to do that and if it’s a secret, often up to 30 people know about it, says Fjørtoft.
He thought a potential documentary showed the humble Haaland and the team around him had done a very professional job. A team led by Alfie’s father.
– What he did was belittled. He was the one in charge of the entire process, and how they reached the choices they had made thus far was poorly communicated. Haaland’s team and Alfie’s way of working is one of the most professional in football today, Fjørtoft believes.
Will show the stars in the open channel
This documentary is part of Viaplay’s major investment in the Premier League. There, Haaland is definitely one of the biggest draws for Norwegian licensees and the channel promises to follow Norwegians closely.
On Wednesday, they launch their experts and commentators who will cover the league. Eirik Bakke and Sigrid Heien Hansen join the Premier League team. Both are former football players and Bakke has a past as a coach at Sogndal. The two of them became Viaplay’s new members.
PRESENTING THE PROJECT: Program leaders Gunnhild Toldnes and rjan Bjørnstad and sporting director Kristian Oma. Photo: Shad Madian / Dagbladet
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Some famous names will also be included in the coverage. John Arne Riise, Steffen Iversen and Andrine Hegerberg are some of those who join the team of experts.
Viaplay will also launch a new channel that will feature the Premier League, this package is called V premium. V4 is renamed TV3+ and will broadcast matches from the top six teams each round. Namely, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham.
All 380 games will be shown each season for the six years Viaplay has rights.
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