Newcastle United have made progress, on and off the pitch, since Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund brought the Premier League side from Mike Ashely close to a year ago.
Alexander Isak was one of the players to arrive at St James’ Park in the last window. Newcastle paid €70m to acquire the striker’s services and made him their record signing in the process.
The PIF’s takeover of the Tyneside club allowed them to invest in excess of €100m in the last window. Newcastle became the latest to join the list of state-backed clubs, after Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain.
Union Berlin’s Morten Thorsby is not a fan of this type of backing. The 26-year-old appeared as a guest on Swedish podcast, Lundh, and his comments are relayed in today’s Aftenposten.
When asked whether the Newcastle summer signing Isak and City star Erling Haaland have a responsibility when it comes to sports-washing, he said: “I personally am very clear about these things.”
The Norway international was also asked about his country’s captain, Martin Ødegaard, who plays for Arsenal. Emirates are the shirt sponsors for the Gunners.
“Me and Erling are very good friends. Martin too. They have their personalities and I have mine. But if you are to respect each other, you must also be honest with each other. I am 100% honest with everyone I talk to,” he stressed.
Aftenposten points out the midfielder has had great influence when it comes to raising awareness about climate change. 
“We need football, because it has such a big influence. For me, it is absolutely impossible to see that football is not political, and it is the most influential phenomenon,” Thorsby added.
“I don’t even call it a sport. It is a phenomenon, bigger than sports. We must use the power that exists in football. Football players have enormous opportunities to influence. We are the role models.”
