My Blog

Together we stand united against evil
As you might know, or have guessed: I am Norwegian; I live in Oslo with the ones I love. I have lived and worked as a professional football player in many countries, but Norway is the place I call home. It’s a country to be proud of, a small, peaceful and protected place on planet Earth.
Or so we thought, until the 22th July, “The Black Friday”, when the attacks in Oslo and Utøya  claimed 77 lives. Our awakening was brutal and sudden. We have now gone through chock, anger and fury during the month that has passed since the unthinkable happened. We have cried together and felt for the families of those who lost someone they loved dearly.
But something powerful and positive has simultaneously occurred to us. After the initial feeling of despair and sense of helplessness, we now feel united and strong. We feel hope. We have decided, in unison, to stand united against this cancer of hatred, fighting it together and keeping it from growing.
Something that moved me deeply were the words of Helle Gannestad - who knew many of the people who died on the island - when she wrote about the attacks on Twitter, only the day after they took place: “If one man can create that much hate, you can only imagine how much love we can create together”.
Only two days later 300 000 people took part in a demonstration in Oslo to show that love can conquer evil. It was powerful to witness all the people taking part in the action, each carrying a red rose, a symbol of love and hope. We have decided to become even more tolerant and working even harder at understanding other cultures, religions, countries and so on. Our focus in Norway is set on peace.
That is why I am extra proud today of being the chairman of MTG United For Peace - because we share that vision. The purpose of our charity is to enable people from different countries to meet and make friends. To let young people learn from each another, respect and look up to fellow football players, all in a peaceful manner. Our focus is set on peace, and we’re proud to work in close partnership with the Nobel Peace Centre in Oslo. We are also very proud of being partners with the Norwegian Red Cross; they did an incredible job during and after the attacks.   
In this time of mourning and turbulence, a number of role-models have stood out in Norway. The one that has impressed me the most is probably our Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, who has been a touchstone for the whole country, being steadfast, seeking to offer comfort and support. He recently said: ”Together we have won over hatred; we embrace openness, tolerance and standing united.” He urged us all to fight extremist’s threats with arguments and more democracy.
Our royal family has also been fantastic, openly showing sadness and despair, but also establishing hope. Harald, our King of Norway, said: ”We will carry on mourning together, but we should thank the people affected by the attacks who have decided that their experiences will not break them but make them stand strong together”.