Aberdeen's Sivert Heltne Nilsen forgoes Christmas football tradition for training.
Breaking a cherished tradition
This Christmas, Aberdeen midfielder Sivert Heltne Nilsen will make a significant sacrifice by skipping a long-standing festive football tradition in his hometown of Alesund, Norway. Every year, he participates in a mass game with friends on Christmas Day, a cherished event that has brought joy and camaraderie for years.
However, this year, Heltne Nilsen will be focused on his professional commitments as Aberdeen prepares to face Kilmarnock at Rugby Park on Boxing Day.
At 33, Heltne Nilsen reflects on the importance of these festive matches, stating, “There is a Christmas tradition in my hometown to get together and play football on Christmas.
Not a team, just friends, like a big mass gathering of all the guys I played with when I was 15 or 16.” This year, however, he acknowledges the necessity of prioritizing his career over personal traditions, especially as Aberdeen seeks to break a six-game winless streak.
Training over tradition
Aberdeen’s manager, Jimmy Thelin, has scheduled a training session on Christmas Day, emphasizing the team’s need to improve their performance after a disappointing run. Heltne Nilsen admits that while he will miss the festive match, his focus is on helping the team regain their form. “We are training Christmas Day, but in Norway we celebrate on December 24,” he explained. “Our expectation is to be the best team in a match, dominate and go quickly forward.”
Despite the disappointment of missing out on the traditional game, Heltne Nilsen remains optimistic about the upcoming matches. He expressed hope that the team can deliver strong performances in the following games, stating, “Hopefully we put in good performances over the upcoming games.”
Adapting to artificial surfaces
As Aberdeen prepares to face Kilmarnock, Heltne Nilsen is accustomed to playing on artificial pitches, a common feature in Norway. He noted that many teams in his home country have transitioned to synthetic surfaces due to weather conditions. “It’s nothing new to me as I’m used to playing on a lot of plastic pitches in Norway,” he remarked. “I think it’s only five teams in Norway that still play on natural grass pitches now – and that’s too few.”
With the Scottish Premiership planning to ban artificial pitches by the 2026-27 season, Kilmarnock is set to replace their synthetic surface with grass. Heltne Nilsen understands the concerns surrounding artificial pitches, particularly regarding player safety and the integrity of the game. “It can be a different game on a plastic pitch when it comes to having duels on the surface,” he stated, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the league’s reputation.
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