Women

“Familiar yet unfamiliar”

An interview with Thea Bjelde ahead of the Champions League meeting with her former club Valerenga.

For Thea Bjelde, the second match in the UEFA Women’s Champions League at Valerenga on Wednesday (18:45 CEST) means a walk down memory lane. The defender moved to Wolfsburg in the summer after four years in Oslo. Ahead of the first meeting with her former club, the 25-year-old spoke about the special significance of this game.

Thea, we’re back at your old stomping ground. How does it feel to return to this stadium as a visiting player?

Thea Bjelde: “It feels familiar and yet it’s unfamiliar. The idea of playing Valerenga in the Champions League with VfL immediately appealed to me. Now I’m looking forward to the clash – and to seeing lots of familiar faces.”

Who are you still particularly close to here?

Thea: “I feel like I know everyone at this club. Four years is a long time, so I’m really looking forward to seeing all the people who accompanied me along the way. My family and lots of friends will also be in the stadium. That doesn’t change the aim, though: I want to leave as a winner – at all costs.”

Die VfL-Wolfsburg-Spielerin Thea Bjelde dribbelt mit dem Ball.

How would you assess Valerenga – what are their strengths?

Thea: “They don’t necessarily have a lot of experience in Europe but they’re one of the best teams in Norway. They’ve been champions two years in a row and deserved to qualify for the Champions League. They know their role as underdogs: keep it tight, defend deep and rely on quick transitions. As well as that, they have individual players who can make the difference.”

Have you already been in touch with your former teammates?

Thea: “Not yet personally, but after it was revealed that we’d be coming up against each other, a few messages were exchanged. (laughs)”

In Valerenga there’s a Norwegian team in the Champions League, while there are 21 Norwegian players from 13 different clubs in the competition. What does this presence mean for Norwegian football?

Thea: “It’s incredibly nice to see that more and more players are making the move abroad. You can’t ignore the positive development of women’s football in Norway, which makes me happy. I hope it continues.”