SEASON meets: Ada Hegerberg on huge comebacks, DAZN’s Champions League growth, and our ‘hammer’ boot collaboration

Words Flo Lloyd-Hughes

Ada Hegerberg is beaming with warmth and familiarity when I talk to her over Zoom, world’s away from the celebrity name she’s become. The incredible Norwegian footballer instantly refers to me by name and we laugh about the time I accidentally tweeted the wrong numbers for her ridiculous goal record for Olympique Lyonnais Féminin in Division 1 Feminine and the UEFA Women’s Champions League.

An activist at heart and the first female footballer to win the Ballon D’Or, Hegerberg stepped away from the Norwegian national team in 2017 over a lack of respect for women’s players and only just announced her comeback.

“I love football, and I want to play football. I took a decision in 2017 that I stood by. But I had a lot of time to reflect over the past two years, on many aspects. I was able to have very honest discussions with the federation, firstly through Lise [Klaveness, former team-mate and now Norwegian Football Federation president]. I am very glad to be able to come back with the team and get a new story started.”

— Ada Hegerberg

Such unexpectedly great news has united the women’s football community in excitement and relief ahead of what promises to be the biggest Women’s Euros yet. In true Hegerberg fashion, the 26-year-old also highlighted the next generation during her comeback press conference last month. ‘I want to do my part so that we reach our goals, and inspire both young girls and boys across the country. Now I can finally do it with the flag on my chest again.’

Focused on creating a legacy on and off the pitch, Hegerberg is under no illusions about the difference a brand new, global broadcast deal with DAZN can make to her favourite competition: the UEFA Women’s Champions League. ‘I think we made a huge step,’ she tells me. ‘We were waiting for this opportunity to reach more people.’ This season, the competition has evolved to another level with a new group stage format, live coverage on YouTube in multiple languages, increasing attention and accessibility.

Becoming champions of Europe again! Olympique Lyonnais v FC Barcelona Women - UEFA Women's Champions League Final

Seeing Hegerberg make her Champions League comeback in October 2021 after missing almost 20 months, with an anterior cruciate ligament injury and a stress fracture to her tibia, was even sweeter because we customised the Nike By You Mercurial Vapor 14 Elite boots that she wore. ‘You're not the same player as you were before the injury,’ the forward said at the time. ‘And I mean it in a positive way. [Now] I know myself and my body, the main goal is to score many goals with these boots. That's what I live for.’

The partnership with DAZN has shown exactly what can be achieved when you get eyes on the women’s game, with 14 million people watching the group stage games. ‘It shows that if you give people access to the product, people will watch,’ Hegerberg echoes. ‘That's basically what we need as players. From a player's perspective, that gives you more motivation to keep developing to be better even in training every day. That's our responsibility when someone gets in and gives us a platform. It's up to us to deliver. It's been a game changer, I think for the whole game.’

Ahead of Lyon’s UEFA Women’s Champions League quarter final tie with Juventus last month - they won 4-3 on aggregate to progress – I got to know Hegerberg a little better. We jumped from her emotional return to her favourite competition to what she’s reading at the moment and her ideal dinner guests.

Hegerberg wearing the Nike By You Mercurial Vapor 14 Elite boots we customised with her.
Boot Design - @ahegerberg @feliciapennant @sianrowwe_ @season_zine
Photographer & Director @olivialifungula
DOP @jan.Solberg
1st Assistant @guillaume__mercier
Production @objectandanimal
EP / Agent @millieyoxen
Producer @jess.ajose
Producer (Lyon) @qlub.house
MUA / Hair silvy_kazandjian
Nails @chloehoffner
Wardrobe @zerokatre

Flo Lloyd-Hughes: Do you have a favourite Champions League moment?

Ada Hegerberg: I feel like we've been kind of spoiled. I won five of them, the club has won seven, and each and every title has its own moment. The first final I won against Wolfsburg was special, but getting a hattrick against Barcelona was another step again. I don't take it easy after big moments, I always rush to the next thing. But when I got to break the record for most goals in Champions League history, that was a big thing for me, I gotta be honest. That sparked me and gave me another motivation to continue to break records.

Flo Lloyd-Hughes: You recently wrote a children’s book called Pa Samme Lag with your sister Andrine, who is also a footballer, what was the inspiration behind it?

Ada Hegerberg: Books are precious. I grew up reading a lot of books. It's a really fun thing that you need to imprint a little bit on the kids today. Books are what I read to get out of that football bubble and it helps me to think differently.

We had this idea during the last couple of years to make a book [about] girls getting confidence, taking their spots in the world of football. We got the best author (Harald Rosenløw Eeg) on the project and also a guy who made these incredible illustrations (Hans Jørgen Sandnes) and we're really happy about it. I take a lot of pride in this book because I read a lot and you can gain a lot of inspiration from books.

Flo Lloyd-Hughes: What are you reading at the moment?

Ada Hegerberg: I'm rereading a book called The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. I found it in my garage lately and it's one of my favourites. Look it up, it's a good one.

SL Benfica v Olympique Lyon Group D - UEFA Women's Champions League

Flo Lloyd-Hughes: How do you take your coffee?

Ada Hegerberg: I'm Scandinavian and we take a lot of pride in our coffees. I don't know how many coffee machines my husband and I [have] but it's getting a little bit ridiculous. We obviously love a good French press. We like black, untouched with no sugar in it. Plain, good, fresh beans, ground them yourself, and you’re good to go.

Flo Lloyd-Hughes: What are some items you always have in your bag?

Ada Hegerberg: I always have my phone. I often bring a book to the club so I can read in between training and recovery. I got my money with me, my AirPods, some recovery socks and that's basically it.

Flo Lloyd-Hughes: Do you have a favourite jersey?

Ada Hegerberg: One of my first jerseys was an FC Roma jersey with Totti on the back. I think we still have that jersey today. It was a home Jersey in red. Quite beautiful. I'm definitely gonna try to find it.

Flo Lloyd-Hughes: Have you ever met Totti?

Ada Hegerberg: No but what a legend. You don't find that many club legends like he was so hopefully one day.

Boot Design - @ahegerberg @feliciapennant @sianrowwe_ @season_zine
Photographer & Director @olivialifungula
DOP @jan.Solberg
1st Assistant @guillaume__mercier

Flo Lloyd-Hughes: How would you describe your style?

Ada Hegerberg: Very Scandinavian. I mix comfy things with a bit of elegance, both masculine and feminine. I want to feel comfortable but also dressed up for myself: fresher, straighter. I'm glad to get out of those casual sports clothing that we wear all the time.

Flo Lloyd-Hughes: What did you think of the Nike x SEASON zine collaboration we recently did for your boot?

Ada Hegerberg: Honestly, one of the most beautiful shoes I've ever worn. I'm not joking. They had Ada written on them, you guys did such a hammer job on them. I got so much feedback wearing those shoes. People were like ‘Jesus Christ, where can I get them?’ Having cool shoes, it gives you something, an extra feeling stepping on that pitch. So great work on that one team!

Flo Lloyd-Hughes: What’s your usual pre-match routine?

Ada Hegerberg: I always do the same routine because I believe in good routines, not in a superstitious way. I always do my braids, it started as a thing where I just needed to get my hair away from my eyes and then it turned into my thing.

I love to have clean shoes. I always clean my shoes after training. I want everything to be settled so that I don't have anything to think about going into the game. I've visualised, I’m ready to go, everything is in order. That's the most important thing. No superstitious stuff like socks on right before left or something like that.

Flo Lloyd-Hughes: Finally, if you were hosting a dinner party who would you invite and what would you cook?

Ada Hegerberg: It's been so long since I've seen my family, my husband and also I need to mention my agents, because they’ve been like family for some years now. So I would bring them all in, have some steamed bao buns or something, which I'm really into at the moment, maybe a good bottle of wine and just enjoy.

Images courtsey of DAZN and SEASON zine.