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If you have PressReader access, it's on pages 48-53 of the May 16 edition of Bergens Tidende.

It's not that far from Sandviken to his dream life in California. The Bergen native works for one of Hollywood's most powerful people. Afterwards, he wants to return to Bergen.

Angel City plays its home games at BMO Stadium in Downtown Los Angeles. But that's not where we have an audience with the Bergen native. No, we have to head northwest on Highway 101, out of the city's dense traffic and gradually into a quieter landscape with hills, open spaces and greener surroundings.

As we approach Thousand Oaks in the Conejo Valley, the feel is less metropolitan and more affluent suburban, with the mountains close by – and the Pacific coast just a short distance away.

Here, Angel City has built a state-of-the-art training facility that the club has sole control of, with all kinds of facilities. From massive training rooms and physical departments to realistic changing rooms and a large press room. 

And of course, green grass.

Top league gold and cup final

We have to go through some gates before we see Alexander Straus outside one of the entrances, wearing a cap under the strong California sun.

The 50-year-old from Sandviken has clearly found his place in what many would call an American dream. First, a little look back:

Straus became head coach of Sandviken in 2020 and led the team to top-flight gold the following year, as well as the cup final.

He also became the first head coach ever for Brann Women after the merger.

In the summer of 2022, Straus moved on to Bayern Munich, where he won three straight Bundesliga titles, in addition to the DFB Cup and the Super Cup.

Wanted to move on

A little over a year ago, he announced his move to American football and Angel City FC in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).

The couple Willow Bay and Bob Iger had invested over a billion kroner the previous year when they took over as majority owners of the club.

Iger was for decades one of Hollywood’s most powerful people as CEO of Disney. There, he was behind the acquisitions of Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm, the company behind “Star Wars”. He retired in March.

Angel City founders such as film star Natalie Portman, tennis ace Serena Williams and former soccer profiles Mia Hamm and Abby Wambach are still minority owners in what is considered the world’s richest women’s soccer club – with an estimated value of 2.5 billion kroner.

But why leave the cream of the crop as a coach at Bayern Munich?

– I wanted to move on. Plus, I got a very good offer from here. I had one year left on my contract with Bayern, so Angel City bought me out, says Straus after showing us around the impressive facility.

 He emphasizes that Bayern was a fantastic club to be at.

 – I felt very established and comfortable, but at the same time I felt that this was an opportunity to try something completely different. Ideally, it could have happened one or two years later, but the timing was right. I am 50 years old, and then I also thought that if I was going to try the USA, it was right to do it now, says Straus.

Good conditions

Although Angel City is the world's largest women's football club commercially, with over 20,000 spectators at each home game, the club has not yet fully benefited from its sporting achievements.

That is something that triggers the Bergen native. - The market in Los Angeles is enormous. When the sporting potential is unleashed, I believe Angel City can become the center of women's football in the world, Straus says unashamedly.

He also makes no secret of the fact that his personal financial conditions are good.

The fact that the club is located in Los Angeles is also a big plus. His wife, Rikke Straus, has moved over with their dogs. They are very happy in a quiet residential area with a pool and a great view.

- We live a quarter of an hour from Malibu. Here there is a beach, concerts, sporting activities and lots of other things to do, says Straus.

Rikke has kept her job in Bergen. She works at Åsane Storsenter as a stylist and with campaigns. She can travel back and forth to work in batches.

– There are only the two of us here now. The children are adults. That way it was possible to make this move, Straus emphasizes.

That Angel City is owned by big names is something he notices in his daily life. Barely a week goes by between each time he meets Bob Iger and Willow Bay.

– They are very hands-on, go to the games and are genuinely interested in building a proper foundation.

– There is a bit of Hollywood about it, which is cool in its own way. But I am a professional, so for me it is primarily about what happens within the white lines, says Straus.

Extremely even league

Although the club has enough resources, the American system has restrictions that mean that money alone cannot solve problems that may arise.

 – There are salary caps and regulations that make the league extremely even. You can lose to the bottom team and beat the top team. In many ways it is healthy, although it can also be frustrating. 

– How would you describe the level of American women's soccer compared to Germany?

– My top team in Bayern would definitely be there and fight to win here. But the teams further down in Germany would not have had a chance in this league. That is what makes this league so tough. The level is very even, and you are punished if you are not on top every single week, says Straus.

He has not yet brought in any Norwegian players, as he did when Tuva Hansen left Brann for Bayern after the 2022 season.

– It's not that I don't want Norwegian players. There just haven't been the right players available, or the right needs in the squad right now, says Straus.

Brought in Brann coach

 But he has brought someone from Brann. A couple of weeks ago it was announced that Leif Gunnar Smerud, who had to leave his coaching job in Brann after taking them to league gold last year, will work as Straus' assistant.

- I have known Leif for several years, since we were both in the NFF, responsible for different national teams. He is professionally at the highest level and can come in here with fresh eyes and get room to use his experience, says Straus.

 He believes Smerud has had a great impact on why the Norwegian men's national team is performing at such a high level as they are currently.

- In addition, he took over a Brann Women's team that was behind VIF in the summer of last year and managed to win all the games in the Toppserien in the fall, so that our beloved Brann could comfortably lift its first league title since 2022.

 There are seven nationalities in the current Angel City squad. That can be challenging for a coach who needs everyone to pull in the same direction.

 So far in the series, Angel City has won three games and lost three. The team is in seventh place in the table.

 – I have to bring together many people from different cultures and football schools around a common understanding and a common goal. Then a lot of the job is about taking the best from each culture and fusing it into something new, says Straus.

 He points out that the head coach's job today is much more management than before.

– There are large support systems, many disciplines and many people who will be pulling in the same direction.

– Are you patient with the project, or are quick results expected?

– I am always an optimist, but I am also a realist. This is a club that is only four to five years old. It is something completely different than coming to Brann or Bayern, which have long traditions, culture and history.

 – When a club is so young, it has to go through mistakes and processes to grow. It doesn't happen overnight, says Straus.

 Inspired by Kjetil Knutsen

 He is often inspired by the work that another Bergen resident, Kjetil Knutsen, is doing in Bodø/Glimt.

 – They haven't been concerned with the headlines, but with doing the little things right every single day.

 Straus has a contract for three more seasons and is committed to finishing the job in Angel City.

 – In this industry, you are always there until you are no longer there. Things can change quickly. It is part of life as a coach.

 How often are you home in Bergen?

 – Not as often as I would like. The journey is long, so you don't fly home just for a weekend. But I will come back in June.

 What do you miss?

 – The city. I love Bergen, the people. When I finish my coaching career, we will go home.

>As the NBA and NFL have priced out buyers, there’s now increased demand for sports teams with more affordable valuations. That’s helped drive the recent NWSL surge, they say. There’s more liquidity at NWSL team price points, which has led to bidding wars and soaring valuations. 

>While the most recent winning buyers — Blank and the Haslams — are already owners of NFL and other sports teams, they’ve had to pay increasingly high prices to fight off other offers. There are far more buying groups willing to write a consortium check for $200 million than pay $1 billion or more for minority stakes in the biggest leagues.

>“There’s a lot of demand to get into the sports business but people can’t write the checks to buy into the big four anymore. So what they’re doing is they’re substituting,” said veteran sports banker Sal Galatioto, president of Galatioto Sports Partners. “When supply is fixed and demand goes up, people will bid more to win. The underlying economics are not as important.”