Lillestrøm SK's derby victory was overshadowed by extensive vandalism at their home stadium. The club secured a 2-0 win over rivals Vålerenga with goals from Ruben Gabrielsen and Thomas Lehne Olsen, but significant damage was discovered in the away section after the final whistle.
Robert Lauritsen, the daily leader of Lillestrøm SK, confirmed the scale of the destruction. “There is no doubt that significant damage has occurred to the away stand after the match,” he said. The club reports damage to toilets, LED advertising signs, and other equipment. Several seats were torn out and thrown onto the pitch, and flares were thrown onto the grass, causing burn marks on the turf.
Clubs in dialogue
Lillestrøm SK will now conduct a thorough assessment of the damage and the subsequent costs before contacting Vålerenga. Lauritsen emphasised that there is a good dialogue between the clubs and that he is confident they will find a tidy solution together. The goal is for someone to pay for the damages once the bill is clear.
For their part, Vålerenga Fotball has moved to apologise for the incident. Svein Graff, Vålerenga's daily leader, stated: “Vandalism is low and on behalf of the club I apologise for this behaviour.” He added that it was only a few individuals who ruined the experience for the 1700 supporters who created a fantastic atmosphere. Vålerenga will engage in dialogue with Lillestrøm after they map the extent of the damages and will follow up on the matter internally.
Repeated incidents
This is not the first time vandalism and disturbances have occurred in connection with this derby. Earlier this year, a Lillestrøm tifo was stolen before a match at Intility Arena and later appeared on Østblokka. Back in 2013, the head of the statue of Lillestrøm legend Tom Lund was sawn off before a match at Åråsen.
The win against Vålerenga was Lillestrøm's second victory in a row, following a 2-1 away win against Brann last weekend. This gives the club a recent form of two wins, one draw, and two losses in their last five matches.
Despite injury problems on the sidelines, with Camil Jebara, Karl Linus Alperud and Espen Bjørnsen Garnås currently out, the team has shown strength.
