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Norwegian football/soccer : Premier Division 2009 season preview

Stabaek claim debut crown

It was pretty much a complete changing of the standings in Norway last term. Stabaek clinched the Tippeligaen title for the first time in their history in the penultimate match of the 2008 season. Frederikstad were second, Tromso third and promoted Bodo/Glimt finished an excellent fourth just two points off a UEFA Europa League spot. Here is a short summary of the 2008 campaign:

Champions: Stabaek (Champions League 2nd qualifying round)
Runners-up: Fredrikstad (UEFA Europa League)
Third place: Tromso (UEFA Europa League)
Norwegian Cup winners: Valerenga (UEFA Europa League)
Relegated: Ham Kam
Promoted: Odd Grenland, Sandefjord, Start.

The league expanded

The Norwegian top flight has been expanded from this season to include 16 teams, rather than 14, meaning that everyone will have four more matches to play in 2009. So, three teams were promoted from the First Division at the end of the 2008 campaign. Those teams were champions Odd Grenland, runners-up Sandefjord and third-placed Start. Ham Kam were relagated, while Aalesund remain in the Premier Division after winning a two-legged play-off tie against Sogndal. The new domestic season gets under way on March 14.

teams	titles	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008
Rosenborg	20	1	7	1	5	5
Frederikstad	9	10	11	8	8	2
Viking	8	9	5	11	3	6
Valerenga	5	2	1	3	7	10
Lillestrom	5	7	4	4	4	12
Brann	3	3	6	2	1	8
Lyn	2	6	3	7	9	7
Start	2	2	2	6	14	-
Stabaek	1	13	-	5	2	1
Stromsgodset	1	-	-	-	10	11
Tromso	-	4	8	10	6	3
Molde	-	11	12	14	-	9
Odd Grenland	-	9	9	12	12	-
Bodo/Glimt	-	12	14	-	-	4
Aalesund	-	-	13	-	11	13
Sandefjord	-	-	-	9	13	-

The overall number of titles for each club in Norwegian Premier Division (since 1937) and their league standings in the last five seasons.

Brann appoint Steinar Nilsen as new coach

After the 2007 crown, their first league title since 1963, Brann had a disappointing season finishing in a lowly eighth place. So, the Bergen side have appointed Steinar Nilsen as their new coach. The 36-year-old former Milan defender fills the gap left by Mons Ivar Mjelde, who resigned after a poor league campaign. Nilsen, who has signed a three-year deal, joins Brann after guiding Tromso to a surprise third-place finish and then resigning.

This page contains additional information about the 2009 Norwegian Premier league season. Latest news, statistics, results and predictions you can find on our main Euro Football > Norway page.

Coach Henning Berg swaps Lyn for Lillestrom

Lyn's Henning Berg takes over as Lillestrom coach in January with the 38-year-old former Manchester United defender having agreed a five-year contract. Lillestrom have been without a trainer since Tom Nordlie resigned last summer, with Erland Johnsen and Frode Grodas named as caretaker coaches until Berg arrives at the start of 2009. Lillestrom, the fourth place team in 2007, finished last season a place above the relegation play-offs, 12th in the 14-team table, while Lyn were seventh.

#	team	points	g.dif.	win-draw-loss
1	Stabak	54	34	16-6-4 (26)

2	Fredrikstad	48	10	14-6-6 (26)
3	Tromso	44	12	12-8-6 (26)
4	Bodo/Glimt	42	-1	12-6-8 (26)
5	Viking	39	7	11-6-9 (26)
6	Rosenborg	39	6	11-6-9 (26)
7	Lyn	38	4	11-5-10 (26)
8	Brann	33	0	8-9-9 (26)
9	Molde	31	-4	7-10-9 (26)
10	Valerenga	30	-6	8-6-12 (26)
11	Stromsgodset	29	-11	8-5-13 (26)
12	Lillestrom	28	-10	7-7-12 (26)
13	Aalesund	25	-13	7-4-15 (26)

14	Ham Kam	21	-28	5-6-15 (26)

The final league standings for the 2008 season.

Rosenborg the favorite to win title

Rosenborg, who won fifteen of the previous seventeen league titles, remain clear favourite in the 2009 title-race despite a disappointing fifth place finish last term. According to online bookmakers, the nearest challengers are Stabaek, Brann and Valerenga.

team	odds	team	odds
Rosenborg	3	Stabaek	5
Brann	7	Valerenga	8
Lillestrom	10	Viking	11
Fredrikstad	20	Tromso	21
Bodo/Glimt	51	Lyn	51
Molde	75	Aalesund	100
Start	150	Odd Grenland	150
Stromsgodset	200	Sandefjord	500

The preseason odds for the outright winner of the 2009 Norwegian football league posted by online bookmakers.

Norwegian Cup finals in last five seasons

2004 Brann - Lyn 4:1
2005 Molde - Lillestrom 4:2
2006 Fredrikstad - Sandefjord 3:0
2007 Lillestrom - Haugesund 2:0
2008 Valerenga - Stabaek 4:1

Valerenga won the 2008 Norwegian Cup for the fourth time after a convincing 4-1 victory over league champions Stabaek in the final, a success that will put them among the entrants for the 2009/10 UEFA Europa League.

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key players

Aalesund

Goalkeeper Adin Brown (€0.6m); Defense: Jonatan Tollas (€0.7m), Enar Jaager (€0.5m), Daniel Arnefjord (€0.3m); Midfield: Jonathan Parr (€0.8m), Johan Arneng (€0.7m), Amund Robertsen Skiri (€0.4m), Demar Phillips (€0.3m); Forward: Tor Hogne Aaroy (€0.5m), Diego Silva (€0.3m), Peter Kopteff (€0.3m).

Bodo/Glimt

Goalkeeper Pavel Londak (€0.7m); Defense: Mounir Hamoud (€0.8m), Per Verner Vagan Ronning (€0.6m), Willis Forko (€0.4m), Alo Barengrub (€0.3m); Midfield: Christian Berg (€0.6m), Thomas Ronning (€0.4m), Runar Berg (€0.3m), Olav Rastad (€0.3m); Forward: Thiago Martins (€0.3m), Trond Fredrik Ludvigsen (€0.3m).

Brann Bergen

Goalkeeper Hakon Opdal (€1.2m); Defense: Kristjan Orn Sigurdsson (€1m), Azar Karadas (€0.9m), Birkir Mar Saevarsson (€0.5m), Armann Smari Bjornsson (€0.5m); Midfield: Eirik Bakke (€1.5m), Jan Gunnar Solli (€1.1m), Hassan El Fakiri (€0.6m), Rudolph Austin (€0.5m), Tijan Jaiteh (€0.5m); Forward: David Nielsen (€0.5m).

Fredrikstad

Goalkeeper Lasse Staw (€0.8m); Defense: Raio Piiroja (€1.2m), Wallace (€0.6m), Patrik Gerrbrand (€0.4m); Midfield: Ardian Gashi (€1.1m), Kasey Wehrman (€0.6m), Abgar Barsom (€0.5m), Hans Erik Ramberg (€0.4m), Raymond Kvisvik (€0.4m); Forward: Gardar Johannsson (€0.4m), Everton Santos (€0.3m).

Lillestrom

Goalkeeper Otto Fredrikson (€0.7m); Defense: Frode Kippe (€1.1m), Vidar Riseth (€0.6m), Lars-Kristian Eriksen (€0.4m), Steinar Pedersen (€0.3m); Midfield: Khaled Mouelhi (€0.7m), Bjorn Helge Riise (€0.6m), John Anders Bjorkoy (€0.4m), Jon Midttun Lie (€0.3m); Forward: Olivier Occean (€0.9m), Karim Essediri (€0.4m).

Lyn Oslo

Goalkeeper Johan Dahlin (€0.5m); Defense: Indridi Sigurdsson (€0.8m), Magne Simonsen (€0.6m), Shane Peter Stefanutto (€0.5m), Tommy Berntsen (€0.5m); Midfield: Theodor Elmar Bjarnason (€1m), Paul Obiefule (€0.7m), Erling Knudtzon (€0.3m), Petter Furuseth Olsen (€0.3m); Forward: Lucas Pratto (€0.5m), Kim Holmen (€0.4m).

Molde

Goalkeeper Jan Kjell Larsen (€0.5m); Defense: Vegard Forren (€1.4m), Knut Olav Rindaroy (€0.6m), Oyvind Gjerde (€0.5m), Kristoffer P. Vatshaug (€0.4m); Midfield: Daniel Berg Hestad (€1.5m), Thomas Holm (€0.7m), Mattias Mostrom (€0.3m); Forward: Magne Hoseth (€0.8m), Jose Mota (€0.6m), Mame Biram Diouf (€0.4m).

Odd Grenland

Goalkeeper Arni Arason (€0.8m); Defense: Anders Rambekk (€0.4m), Torjus Hansen (€0.4m), Soren Tougaard Jensen (€0.4m), Sven Fredrik Stray (€0.3m); Midfield: Tommy Svindal Larsen (€0.7m), Bentley (€0.6m), Simen Brenne (€0.4m), Morten Fevang (€0.3m); Forward: Peter Kovacs (€0.4m), Fredrik Gulsvik (€0.3m).

Rosenborg

Goalkeeper Rune Almenning Jarstein (€1.5m); Defense: Vadim Demidov (€2.3m), Mikael Dorsin (€2m), Kris Stadsgaard (€1.5m); Midfield: Per Ciljan Skjelbred (€3.5m), Marek Sapara (€3.5m), Alexander Tettey (€2.5m), Anthony Annan (€1.4m); Forward: Steffen Iversen (€2m), Didier Yah Konan (€1.8m), Rade Prica (€1.3m).

Sandefjord Fotball

Goalkeeper Espen Bugge Pettersen (€0.3m); Defense: Alexander Gabrielsen (€0.3m), Birger Madsen (€0.3m), Martin Jensen (€0.3m), Olav Zanetti (€0.3m); Midfield: Espen Nystuen (€0.3m), Marciano (€0.3m), Ebrima Sohna (€0.2m), Erik Mjelde (€0.2m); Forward: Admir Rascic (€0.4m), Samir Saric (€0.2m).

Stabaek

Goalkeeper Jon Knudsen (€0.5m); Defense: Fredrik Risp (€1m), Morten Morisbak Skjonsberg (€0.8m), Pontus Segerstrom (€0.7m), Inge Andre Olsen (€0.5m); Midfield: Pontus Farnerud (€1.8m), Espen Hoff (€1.2m), Henning Hauger (€1m), Johan Andersson (€1m), Christian Keller (€0.9m); Forward: Daniel Nannskog (€1m).

Start Kristiansand

Goalkeeper Tommy Runar (€0.3m); Defense: Branislav Milicevic (€0.3m), Bard Borgersen (€0.3m), Rolf Daniel Vikstol (€0.3m), Hunter Freeman (€0.2m); Midfield: Cristian Bolanos (€0.4m), Geir Ludvig Fevang (€0.3m), Leif Otto Paulsen (€0.3m), Morten Haestad (€0.3m); Forward: Aram Khalili (€0.4m), Ole Martin Arst (€0.2m).

Stromsgodset

Goalkeeper Lars Ivar Moldskred (€0.3m); Defense: Glenn Andersen (€0.7m), Joel Riddez (€0.6m), Alexander Aas (€0.4m); Midfield: Fredrik Winsnes (€0.5m), Fredrik Lund Nordkvelle (€0.3m), Komlan Amewou (€0.2m); Forward: Steffen Nystrom (€0.4m), Oyvind Storflor (€0.4m), Stian Ohr (€0.3m), Mattias Andersson (€0.3m).

Tromso

Goalkeeper Marcus Sahlmann (€0.6m); Defense: Tore Reginiussen (€1.5m), Miika Koppinen (€0.8m), Tom Hogli (€0.7m), Hans Age Yndestad (€0.4m); Midfield: Morten Moldskred (€0.9m), Tommy Knarvik (€0.6m), Helge Haugen (€0.5m), Douglas Sequeira (€0.4m); Forward: Sigurd Rushfeldt (€0.4m), Adriano Munoz (€0.2m).

Valerenga

Goalkeeper Troy Perkins (€0.7m); Defense: Allan Jepsen (€0.5m), Freddy dos Santos (€0.5m), Andre Muri (€0.5m), Jarl Andre Storbaek (€0.4m); Midfield: Daniel Fredheim Holm (€2m), Harmeet Singh (€0.8m), Martin Andresen (€0.8m), Kristofer Haestad (€0.5m); Forward: Mohamed Abdellaoue (€1.5m), Morten Berre (€0.3m).

Viking Stavanger

Goalkeeper Thomas Myhre (€0.6m); Defense: Ragnvald Soma (€1m), Borre Steenslid (€0.8m), Trond Erik Bertelsen (€0.3m); Midfield: Alexander Odegaard (€1.2m), Jone Samuelsen (€0.9m), Tomasz Sokolowski (€0.5m), Andre Danielsen (€0.4m); Forward: Martin Fillo (€2m), Peter Emeka Ijeh (€0.6m), Mame Niang (€0.3m).

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