Dosvidanja Nalchik

On January 19th 2010 I started a big adventure. It all started at hotel Kremlin Palace in Antalya, Turkey when I joined Spartak Nalchik´s winter training camp. I still remember the confusion I felt when entering Kremlin palace´s lobby filled with Russian speakers. At that time of the year the hotel was inhabited with teams from former Soviet countries. The language in Spartak´s trainings was Russian and I didn´t speak a single word of it. It felt a bit weird but at the same time it was tempting – wouldn´t it be great to make it in Russian football? This is how my adventure as a Spartak Nalchik player started.    

Being the first western player in the history of Spartak Nalchik, I got a warm welcome from the fans and everyone else. Luckily my goalkeeper coach, Sergey Krashenko, spoke English. David Siradze, who became a close friend, spoke German with me. Both were of great help. Playing for Nalchik offered not only great success but also some bitter disappointments. We played in freezing weather followed by extremely hot conditions. I´ve made long trips by plane and even longer trips by train. I´ve made friends for life, I´ve got to learn fantastic new traditions, I´ve encountered hospitality I never knew existed, I´ve drunk the best beer in the world, I´ve been skiing at Mount Elbrus, I´ve had the chance to enjoy the Russian sauna culture (which is nearly as good as in Finland), I have witnessed car driving I couldn´t even imagine in my worst nightmares, I´ve fallen in love with the most delicious Caucasian cuisine, I´ve been able to play in front of great fans… Moreover, I´ve had the privilege to play with amazing players and to learn from specialists of the highest quality.  

On the other hand, I´ve also suffered from loneliness at times without my family who stayed in Norway. I´ve been frustrated because of the language or better to say because of my lack of it (and the others´ lack of English). But what doesn´t kill you makes you tougher. I´ve learned that the Russian saying: vso budit harasho, is actually true. Sooner or later things will work out – there´s no need to stress.

I´ve just returned back from Nalchik where I spent 4 memorable days. Due to my injury I´m not able to play football this year, and therefore I´ve come to an agreement with the club to finish my contract immediately. So I´m a free agent from now on. The next big issue is to get fit for football again and then we´ll see where my journey will continue to.

I wish to thank each and everyone in Nalchik for the great time I´ve had there both on and off the pitch! You´re hospitality has touched me and my family. Hope one day I´ll be able to give something back!