NFF and AF Gruppen enter strategic partnership

Football is by far Norway’s largest sport, with activities in nearly two thousand clubs across the country. At the same time, Norwegian football is achieving strong results at the top level, both through solid performances by the national teams and in club football. Through this partnership, NFF and AF Gruppen aim to help ensure that football continues to have strong framework conditions for both grassroots and elite football in the years to come.

“Football brings Norway together, from the smallest local clubs to our national teams. With AF Gruppen, we gain a strong partner who shares our ambition to contribute to the development of football throughout the country,” says Karl-Petter Løken, Secretary General of the Norwegian Football Federation.

AF Gruppen is one of Norway’s leading construction and industrial groups, with extensive experience in the development of buildings, facilities and infrastructure. Through the partnership, the company will contribute expertise in project development, construction execution and environmental solutions. The parties will work together to develop more sustainable solutions for artificial turf pitches, including exploring alternatives to today’s infill materials and further developing facility concepts that can meet future requirements.

“The development of future football facilities is important to many, and we look forward to working with NFF to help address a key societal challenge. Viable alternatives to rubber granulate will be an important step forward, both for the environment and for everyone who uses the pitches throughout the year. We are ready to contribute,” says Amund Tøftum, President and CEO of AF Gruppen.

The work will be carried out in collaboration with professional environments, students and relevant partners. The goal is to help develop solutions that ensure good playing conditions while reducing the environmental impact of football infrastructure.

The partnership takes effect immediately, and the parties have already begun their work.