We thought we'd take a look at the wonderful Norwegian Eliteserien with the season getting underway this weekend. 🇳🇴 This is a league with so much to talk about!
Current champions Bodø/Glimt, who have been on a whirlwind of a journey both domestically and in Europe, the small side from Bodø have been mixing it with the big boys in Europe, a competition they are still in and will face Lazio in the Europa League quarter-finals later this month. Bodø have won the league in 4 of the last 5 seasons!
Rosenborg, who last won the league in 2018 but do have a record of 26 league wins under their belt, have found it tough recently but will hope to bring the good times back. The club are from Trondheim.
Brann, who is a well-supported side from Bergen, last won the league in 2007, but they have had a rocky time of things over recent years, from scandals to money problems and then the unthinkable relegation! They did bounce back immediately, however, at a canter, and last year, despite promotion, they finished an impressive 2nd!
Viking, who finished 3rd last season and qualified for Europe, will be looking for a repeat effort this term, they have not been champions since 1991!
Molde, probably one of the more recognised names in Norwegian football, was the side to break the Bodø dominance as they won the league in 2022 but have not done so since and will be looking to kick on this season after what was a mediocre 5th placed finish last term.
KFUM Oslo, the tiny YMCA club from the Capital got promoted against all the odds in 2023. It made headlines around the footballing world. They had a remarkable season last year finishing 8th, 13 points clear of the bottom two. They are famous for the players having to cross a main road to make their way into the stadium. On the pitch, Same again this time round as they will be hoping to stay up again but will they suffer the dreaded 2nd season syndrome?
Tromsø, I am sure a city many of you reading would have heard of, a stunning place where they have constant sunlight round the clock for a month and then in winter, the complete opposite, no light at all! On the pitch, they didn't have a great year last season, finishing 13th and only avoiding a relegation playoff on goal difference! So this time, improvement will certainly be called for from fans and the club.
Haugesund were the side to fall into the relegation playoffs, but they managed to win them and stay up by the skin of their teeth! So they are another side hoping for improvement.
Other sides who make up the Eliteserien are HamKam (12th last season)
Kristiansund (11th last year)
Sandefjord (10th last year)
Sarpsborg (9th last year)
Strømsgodset (7th last year)
Fredrikstad (6th last year)
Last but not least, the new boys, first up Vålerenga, the side from Oslo, had a nightmare season and were relegated but bounced back convincingly as they collected 69 points, only losing 3 games. Fans will be demanding to see much improvement, though, and will not be expecting another relegation fight on their hands. Vålerenga have won the league 5 times with the last coming in 2005. Their fans are regarded as some of the best in Norway when it comes to atmosphere.
Second up is Bryne, a club that had most of its success in the '70s and '80s but, looking back through history, have been up and down a fair bit. This promotion is their first return since 2003 so it has been a long time coming. Their famous fan, we hear you ask, Erling Haaland is a supporter of the club. The aim will be to stay up this year and retain their top-flight status.
I hope you have enjoyed reading our Norwegian Eliteserien preview. This is a league that may not be up there with the best in terms of quality, but when it comes to passion, stories and history, it is up there with the best.
The 16 stadiums in the league this season have some incredible views which will grab the attention of many fans fancying that European football away trip!
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