On Sunday, it became known that the management of the Norwegian handball giant sees no other option than to go bankrupt. The plan that was launched was to request a tender on Monday.
Stunned players, among them the star goalkeepers Katrine Lunde and Silje Solberg-Østhassel, stood back, with an uncertain handball future ahead of them.
Norske Idrettsutøveres Sentralorganisaison (NISO), which has a large number of Vipers players as members, assists the players in the demanding situation.
Manager Kristoffer Vatshaug is careful to criticize the Vipers management for the trouble the club has found itself in, but says:
– It is unfortunate that there is so much unrest around a club of this format. It is really remarkable that the players have managed to perform with the situation that has existed, he says to NTB.
Unclear situation
Vatshaug states that NISO has been connected to the situation in Vipers since last December through talks with representatives of the player group.
While the players have been and are being followed up, NISO is now awaiting further clarifications from the Vipers community. On Monday, there were reports that, despite Sunday’s bankruptcy notice, work is being done to clarify whether there is still a basis for continued operation.
– We must constantly deal with what is in front of us. Right now it is an unsettled situation. It is obviously very stressful for the players, says Vatshaug.
He is now waiting for new proposals from the club, all the while several scenarios and different solutions seem to have been launched related to the way forward.
When asked by NTB whether the players in Vipers, for example, have apartments and cars that have been paid for by the club, and which there is now suddenly uncertainty about, Vatshaug replies that NISO does not have insight into each individual player’s contract.
At the same time, he points out that financially it can quickly become difficult for the players.
– If it were to happen that the players have not been paid, it is of course demanding and can become precarious, continues Vatshaug.
Not financial aid
– Can you in NISO help the players with the finances?
– We cannot directly assist the private economy, but we can certainly be an advisory party, says the NISO leader.
Originally, Vipers had set a deadline of Friday to bring in NOK 25 million to erase debts and ensure this season and next season with healthy operations.
That deadline was postponed until Sunday night after Friday’s board meeting, where a new player gave the Vipers hope of reaching their goal. The actor promised NOK 14 million, but the offer turned out to be false.
That sent the club looking for new investors. This job could not be landed.
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