March 8 – Norwegian FA president Lisa Klaveness is stepping up her efforts to break into male-dominated territory next month by saying her candidacy should be treated on merit.
Klaveness (pictured) is running for a position on UEFA’s executive committee – not the one seat especially reserved for women, a far easier option, but one of the slots traditionally the property of male contenders.
Klaveness, a qualified lawyer, is one of 11 European officials who vying for seven available places on the 20-strong exco.
“I’m the first female president to ever run for an ExCo election, which is pretty critical when you consider that it’s the biggest sport for girls and women in the world, so we need a board that reflects that,” she told Reuters.
“Men’s football is just as close to my heart as women’s football. I am for a system where you’re elected because of merit, so the reason why I talk about female representation is that I think it’s a very important thing for football structures.”
“I was the first female to ever commentate on the men’s game in Norway, on the World Cup and Premier League, and then the first technical director to lead the men’s national team, and now the first female president.”
A year ago, Klaveness made global headlines in a blistering speech slamming both FIFA for staging the World Cup in Qatar and the host country for its record on migrant workers and the LGBT Community.
Whether UEFA will be prepared to elect such an outspoken figure remains to be seen but Klaveness said the organisation could send out a strong message.
“I think it’s time, and it’s an important step … I think that, if we want diversity down the (football) pyramid, we need to walk the walk at the top level,” she said.
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