– I shrugged my shoulders a certain height. I married a woman and went to a country that had a policy on homosexuality, for example. But I have a professional relationship with it. “It has been decided in parliament, and I am happy to have the opportunity to say something at the FIFA congress,” Klaveness told NRK.

Homosexuality is prohibited by Qatari law. However, he is determined to go to Qatar and talk to the authorities and FIFA.

Klaveness became the first female president in the history of the Norwegian Football Association, to a standing ovation from the united football parliament. He had no rival candidates, and was thus elected unanimously.

In June this year, it was decided that the NFF would not boycott the World Cup, but they would rather use dialogue to improve the situation of migrant workers in Qatar.

At the same time, it was also decided that the president of the Norwegian Football Association should criticize FIFA for their work with human rights at the next FIFA congress.

– In the end, on the one hand, we must have faith in democracy. We have to say what we mean. We have to use our voices, and that’s our chance to do so, says Klaveness.

– A beautiful day

Klaveness has long been a clear voice in the Qatar debate. He has been a member of a working group at the NFF that has worked with Qatar and human rights.

The congress was at the end of March this year. Thus, it is Klaveness who will be going to Qatar at the congress. The Football Association has applied for talk time in congress.

Klaveness has been elected for four years. He maintains the salary he had as a football association employee and thus receives an annual salary of under 1.7 million kroner.

– It’s a strange day and I thank you for the trust. But I’m already there that I’m in the next step. What should I do tomorrow? What do we do next week with the board? What we did to make this team play sit down. Because that’s how it is. This is not a role where you are in charge of someone, Klaveness says.

Make the place available

Klaveness was nominated as chair of the nomination committee towards the end of 2021.

– We presented recommendations for the first female president in 120 years. He has clear ambitions that the NFF will strengthen and develop sports policy nationally and internationally, said the head of the nominations committee, Torleiv Sandvik, while delivering the recommendations from the rostrum in parliament.

At the same time, the chairman of the committee chose to provide his seat. In a recommendation to the federal council, the nomination committee had nominated a youth representative who later turned out to be not young enough to be such a representative on the council, wrote VG earlier this week. Thus, Malin Frantzen iseth cannot be selected.