Karen Espelund (born 1 February 1961 in Trondheim, Norway) is a former Norwegian football player and a former football official.
Espelund started her football career at the SK Trondheims-Ørn and played 300 matches [1] between 1976 and 1985. In 1981 and 1982, she played twice for the Norwegian national women's team.
Later she held several management positions at the Football Association of Norway (NFF). From 1988 to 1996 she served as Director, thereafter until 1999 as Vice President [2] and then, until 2009 as General Secretary. [3]
She became a member of the UEFA Women’s Football Committee in 1990. In 2011, she got a two-year mandate to serve as UEFA Women's Football Committee Chairman in Michel Platini's inner circle. [4]
As of 2012, she was a member of the executive committee of UEFA. [5] In May 2016, Florence Hardouin was elected as her successor. [6]
The UEFA Women's Champions League, previously called the UEFA Women's Cup (2001–2009), is a European women's association football competition. It involves the top club teams from countries affiliated with the European governing body UEFA.
Karen Julia Carney is an English sports journalist and former professional footballer who played as a winger and midfielder. Carney has been a regular broadcaster for live football on Sky Sports, ITV and Amazon Prime, including Women's Super League and men's Premier League matches since 2019. She is also a sports columnist for BBC Sport, BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Television, and The Guardian.
Solveig Ingersdatter Gulbrandsen is a Norwegian footballer currently playing for Kolbotn of the Toppserien. At club level she has previously represented Kolbotn, FC Gold Pride, Vålerenga Fotball Damer and Stabæk. With the Norwegian national team Gulbrandsen accrued 183 caps, scored 55 goals and won the 2000 Summer Olympics.
Sara Caroline Seger is a Swedish footballer who plays as a midfielder and club captain for Damallsvenskan club FC Rosengård. She was the long-standing captain of the Swedish national football team until she announced her retirement from international football in December 2023. At 240 caps, Seger is the most capped player in Europe, male or female.
Ann Kristin Aarønes is a Norwegian former footballer. She first played for Spjelkavik IL, then for Trondheims-Ørn and the Norwegian national team. Later she played for the WUSA's New York Power, during the club's first season of play in 2001.
Siobhan Rebecca Chamberlain is an English sports pundit, commentator, and former professional footballer who last played as a goalkeeper for Manchester United.
Ingrid Hjelmseth is a Norwegian former footballer who played as a goalkeeper. She was Norway's No. 1 for a decade, and her former club Stabæk name her a legend.
Ane Stangeland Horpestad is a Norwegian former footballer who captained the Norway women's national football team. A cultured central defender, she represented Klepp and Kolbotn of the top Norwegian league, the Toppserien. She is from the seaside village of Orre in South-West Norway and lives in the town of Sandnes near Stavanger. Before joining Klepp at the age of 16 she played football only on boys' teams.
Gro Espeseth is a former Norwegian footballer, world champion and olympic champion.
Gøril Kringen is a Norwegian former football player and coach, who has also worked as the Football Association of Norway's (NFF) head of women's football. As a player, she was an Olympic champion with the Norway women's national football team. She played club football for Trondheims-Ørn, and holds the record for total matches played for the club (515).
Bente Kvitland is a Norwegian former footballer who was an Olympic champion with the Norway women's national football team. She played club football in the Toppserien for Trondheims-Ørn and Asker.
Torild Skard is a Norwegian psychologist, politician for the Socialist Left Party, a former deputy permanent secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a former chairman of UNICEF.
Trine Bjerke Rønning is a former Norwegian footballer. She has previously played for Trondheims-Ørn and Kolbotn. Since making her Norway women's national football team debut in October 1999, she has won over 150 caps. Rønning represented her country at the 2005, 2009 and 2013 editions of the UEFA Women's Championship, after being a non-playing squad member in 2001. She also played at the 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015 FIFA Women's World Cups, as well as at the 2008 Olympic football tournament. In February 2015 she was appointed captain of the national team.
Karen Louise Bardsley is an American-born English former footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
Ada Martine Stolsmo Hegerberg is a Norwegian professional footballer who plays as a striker for the Division 1 Féminine club Lyon and the Norway national team. She is widely regarded as one of the best female footballers in the world.
Caroline Graham Hansen is a Norwegian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Spanish Liga F club FC Barcelona and the Norway women's national team.
Maren Nævdal Mjelde is a Norwegian professional footballer who plays as a defender or midfielder for Toppserien club Arna-Bjørnar and captain of the Norway national team.
Professor Laura McAllister is a Welsh academic, former international footballer and senior sports administrator. As a Wales women's national football team player, McAllister won 24 caps and served as team captain. She is currently Professor of Public Policy and the Governance of Wales at the Wales Governance Centre at Cardiff University. She was formerly Professor of Governance at Liverpool University. She was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2016 Birthday Honours for services to sport. She was a board member of Stonewall from 2012 to 2015, and is currently a board member of the Institute of Welsh Affairs. She is Chair of the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame and a Non-executive Director of Goodson Thomas boutique executive search agency. She was honoured as one of the BBC 100 Women in December 2022. Since April 2023, she has also been a vice-president of UEFA.
Guro Reiten is a Norwegian professional footballer who plays as a winger for English Women's Super League club Chelsea and the Norway national team. Before joining Chelsea in 2019, she played in Norway for Sunndal, Kattem, Trondheims-Ørn, and LSK Kvinner.
Ingrid Syrstad Engen is a Norwegian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Spanish Primera División club Barcelona and the Norway national team. She previously played for Trondheims-Orn and LSK Kvinner in Norway and Wolfsburg in Germany before joining Barcelona in 2021.