• Norwegian FA: players should have showed trophy ‘a bit more respect’ • I’ve come a long way to play in a final, says Aleksander Melgalvis Andreassen

Lillestrom have been criticised for their celebrations after winning the Norwegian Cup with one of the players, Aleksander Melgalvis Andreassen, stripping naked on stage and placing the trophy in front of his genitals.

Lillestrom beat Sarpsborg 08 3-2 on Sunday to claim the cup but the governing body has said that it would have preferred the player to show the trophy “a little more respect”.

The Norwegian FA communications director, Yngve Haavik, told TV2: “Winning the Cup is a big thing and obviously it should be celebrated. But it is very possible to do so in a manner that shows the cup a bit more respect. I am sure it wasn’t intentional from Melgalvis but it came out the wrong way regardless. I think Melgalvis and Lillestrom agree with that.”

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Melgalvis said that it was nothing he had planned and that he had done it spontaneously. “[Winning the cup] was something I never thought I would experience,” the 28-year-old told the newspaper Dagbladet. “I’ve come a long way to play in a cup final. Of course I can understand that [people thought] it was a bit over the top. I’ll admit that and apologise, but it is not something I regret.”

The midfielder was criticised in some quarters the day after the party but he did not regret the way he treated the King’s Trophy. “I can understand [that some people didn’t like it]. Should I apologise to the king? Well, I was very privileged to say hello to the king yesterday so maybe I should apologise today.”

Asked by the newspaper Verdens Gang whether his grandmother would be proud of him, Melgalvis said: “I don’t think she’s seen it. Fortunately she doesn’t have the internet or social media.”