– Never respected the guy – NRK Sport – Sports news, results and broadcast schedule

Mushaga Bakenga’s book about his own life “Draumen og skuggen” has created heat even before he came to court.

The content caused sports commentator Birger Løfaldli in Adresseavisen to question the former Rosenborg player.

In the comment entitled “Was it everyone else’s fault?” Løfaldli pointed out, among other things, that Bakenga settles with the vast majority of them and does not come out particularly well.

“The main impression after reading the Bakenga book is that he will either fall out with the management at the club and therefore run away, or that he will succeed, as he did in Odd, and will quickly move on to a new level where there is more money to serve”write Løfaldli, among other things, in the comment.

This caused Bakenga to react strongly in the podcast “Fotballrådet”.

– I have never liked Birger. He never liked me. I never respected the guy. He probably didn’t respect me either. It has been that way from the beginning. He was one of the first people I boycotted, says Bakenga in the podcast.

– I didn’t leave Odd for success and money. I went to Japan to experience Japan, you clown. I have said that so many times and it is so clear. If I had been looking for money and success, I would not have given half of the money I have spent in recent years to build a school for 1,000-2,000 children in the Congo, says Bakenga, among other things, in the podcast.

Tells Løfaldli to call the club

Bakenga was voted the trønder of the year in 2023 and played for Rosenborg for two periods between 2009 and 2017.

Since then he has played for, among others, Club Brügge, Tromsø, Odd and in Japanese football. He now plays for Apollon Limassol in Cyprus.

– Then I ask Birger to call around to all the clubs I’ve been in and call all the fellow players I’ve been a fellow player for, so they can answer that question for him instead of me, said Bakenga and cast doubt on whether Løfaldli has read the book.

Løfaldli rejects that.

– I’m not too surprised by what’s to come. It is in line with the impression I got after reading the book. Unfortunately, I would saysays Løfaldli and continued:

– I went in with an open mind when I read the book, even if I hear Bakenga claim otherwise. He says that I haven’t read the book, and that would just be stupid. I have even read it twice, to really familiarize myself with the content before I report anything about it, says Løfaldli.

Løfaldli says he wrote his comment based on his impression of the book.

– The statements he makes now unfortunately go down the same street. The impression is that when he experiences opposition and criticism, the focus is directed towards pointing at others and making enemies. That’s how I experienced his statements in the podcast. The fact that he makes claims that are not true, I just think it’s unfortunate, says Løfaldli.

Løfaldli says he tolerates being called “clown”.

– But adding opinions to me that I have never liked him, I don’t understand where he got that from. Is he just making it up? Is it adventure? I react quite strongly to that. That’s not the way it works behave. says Løfaldli.

Do not want dirty laundry

Bakenga says to NRK that he did not write the book to catch anyone.

– I praise as much as what people might call blaming others, says Bakenga to NRK.

Bakenga emphasizes that there is not a single word in the book that is untrue on his part, even though there has been a correction in the book by the publisher before it went to press.

Bakenga points out that he does not want any public laundry, but will comment on this about the statement in the podcast that Løfaldli has never liked him.

– I say that because I have heard it directly, but not necessarily from him, says Bakenga to NRK.

He adds that he wishes Løfaldli all the best in life.

But he makes it clear that he does not understand what Løfaldli has extracted from the book, if the commentator knows he did nothing but blame others.

In the podcast, Mushaga Bakenga admits that he has fallen out with people. But at the same time he points out that he cannot be treated badly and is also not made to keep his mouth shut.

– I am not saying that I know best. I am aware of my mistakes and shortcomings. And I have self-awareness. I have never thought that I have been Messi or Ronaldo and never thought that I have been better than I am, says Bakenga to NRK and adds:

– I have never blamed anyone for my career becoming like this, says Bakenga.

– Is it an adventure?

Løfaldli points out that he has had very little to do with Bakenga and that he covered some RBK matches many years ago as a journalist.

– But as far as I can remember, I haven’t written a single comment about him after I became a commentator in 2018. So that fell on its own absurdity. It only reinforces the impression I got after reading the book. I think it’s a shame, says Løfaldli, who points out that he is not aware that he has been boycotted by Bakenga.

Bakenga has had the answer from Løfaldli read out. He says that the boycott in question was about issues he reacted to when he was young in Rosenborg. This led to him not wanting to speak to any selected people in Adresseavisen, including Løfaldli.

He says that the feedback has been good from those who have had the chance to read the book.

– Those who have sent messages, from the football world and others who have had the opportunity to read the book, certainly have nothing bad to say. There is not a single word in the book that is not true, says Bakenga.