Martin Odegaard is pursuing legal action against two publications after they published details of his home, and attempted to photograph his wedding.
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Arsenal captain contends breach of ECHRBoth publications deny wrongdoingOdegaard's security manager accused of threatening journalistsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The Arsenal star is taking legal action against weekly magazine Se og Hør, and Dagbladet, a daily newspaper. According to another Norwegian media outlet, VG, Odegaard's English lawyer has announced a lawsuit following reports about his new home in the UK. The suit alleges a violation of the Arsenal star's right to privacy, which is protected by the European Convention on Human Rights. Odegaard's representatives have demanded the articles be taken down.
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The news comes after another run-in between Odegaard and journalists representing the two publications. Reporters were physically removed from the site of Odegaard's wedding this past Saturday. Dagbladet's editor-in-chief Frode Hansen says his staff were attacked by a "private person", believed to be Geir Ellefsen the security manager for the event, while conducting their work in a public place.
WHAT WAS SAID
Odegaard's lawyer Tim Lowles said in a letter to Se og Hør's editor Niklas Kokkin-Thoresen: "The article describes the location of our client’s recently purchased family home and includes photographs of itt."
Kokkin-Thoresen told VG: “I take this with stoic calm.
“The demand will not be complied with, as this is of great public interest and we have not identified where the home is.
“Here we are on safe editorial ground and this is of course not a violation of privacy.”
AFPWHAT NEXT FOR ODEGAARD?
This could start an ugly and public war between Norway's media and one of the country's biggest stars. How this might affect Odegaard's performance on the pitch remains to be seen.
