On Tuesday, Mushaga Bakenga launched the book The Dream and the Shadow, penned by the author Eivind Hofstad Evjemo.
There, the attacking player talks openly about his rich career, which has included professional stays in Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Japan and Cyprus, in addition to Molde, Tromsø, Ranheim, Odd, Stabæk and two stays in Rosenborg here at home.
Called into the office
During Bakenga’s second stint at RBK, Rosenborg made their most high-profile signing ever.
Danish Nicklas Bendtner, with a past in clubs for Arsenal and Juventus, was signed.
In the book, Bakenga tells of an episode where he was called into the office of the then sporting director Stig Inge Bjørnebye and former head coach Kåre Ingebrigtsen.
“We hear things about you,” said Stig Inge. Kåre said: It is important that you keep your focus on football now. I didn’t understand what he meant. Then it emerged that Bendtner had claimed that I had a bad influence on him and the team. Nicklas says that you bring a bad culture into the group,” writes Bakenga.
“He lay flat”
According to Bakenga, Bendtner laid flat when he brought it up with him afterwards.
“Afterwards I spoke to Nicklas and he laid flat and apologized for what he had said. He had thrown me in front of the bus to save his own skin. His excuse was I “hope you understand”. And what could I do?”
NEW BOOK: Mushaga Bakenga is current with “The Dream and the Shadow”.
TV 2 has tried to get a comment from Nicklas Bendtner about the mention in Bakenga’s book.
A few weeks before, Rosenborg had lost 1–2 against Tromsø in the traditional May 16 match at Lerkendal. In the book, Bakenga says that Bendtner had previously invited the players and their girlfriends to a party in the Dane’s villa.
“The first thing we had to do was hand in the mobile phone, because he didn’t want anyone to take pictures. People should relax. Nevertheless, he, who had been followed by paparazzi for years, had set up a free bar and dance floor in front of the huge windows in the living room, so that anyone could stand outside and follow along,” writes Bakenga, who claims there was another party after that the team had attended the citizens’ rally in Trondheim the following day.
“After we had left, I took the team to Solsiden where I had booked a table. But Bendtner suggested instead that we should just pop over to his house and continue the party.”
“Less worth”
In the book, Bakenga does not hide that he believes the Bendtner signing destroyed the dynamics in the team and the effect the club’s salary cap had had.
“With Bendtner, this whole logic was blown up, and a hierarchy suddenly arose. He was to earn ten times more than any of the rest of us, and what’s more, he skipped all sponsorship assignments, signing autographs at football schools and could almost come and go as he pleased. It created a feeling that the rest of us were less valuable,” Bakenga writes.
FORMER TEAMMATES: In his new book, Mushaga Bakenga (left) tells about both good and bad experiences with Nicklas Bendtner (right) Photo: Ole Martin Wold
Nevertheless, he is also full of praise for the Danish star.
“He made everything look so damn easy and reminded me of a Danish Steffen Iversen. When he was about to head, he became as tall as a giraffe. He possessed a sauntering technique and had a fantastic overview. What’s more, he was a brilliant facilitator for the players around him,” Bakenga describes.
And although the signing shook the hierarchy violently, he is aware that Bedtner also added good things off the pitch.
“I liked Nicklas. He brought a different energy to the dressing room. He was sloppy and unceremonious. He was more than ‘just’ a footballer”, Bakenga describes.
He also scored his first hat-trick for Cypriot Apollon on Tuesday, which he celebrated like this: