Norwegian football/soccer : Premier Division 2011 season preview

Another title for Rosenborg

Rosenborg clinched their 22nd Norwegian title in style with two games left last term. The Trondheim side were expected to retain their crown and have not disappointed, remaining unbeaten all season. In fact, the only domestic game Rosenborg lost was to minnows Follo in the Norwegian Cup semi-final. However, Follo were beaten by Stromsgodset in the final. Valerenga were Rosenborg's nearest league challengers, finishing seven points behind. Here is a short summary of the 2010 campaign:

Champions: Rosenborg (Champions League 2nd qualifying round)
Runners-up: Valerenga (UEFA Europa League 2nd qualifying round)
Third place: Tromso (UEFA Europa League 1st qualifying round)
Cup winners: Stromsgodset (Europa League 3rd qualifying round)
Relegated: Honefoss, Kongsvinger, Sandefjord
Promoted: Sogndal, Sarpsborg, Fredrikstad.

Sogndal were promoted to the top flight by winning the second-tier first division last season. Second-placed Sarpsborg also earned automatic promotion to the highest division. Fredrikstad finished as 3rd and qualified for promotion-relegation play-offs. They defeated Honefoss 8-1 on aggregate in the playoff finals and returned to Norway's top flight after just one season in the second division.

teams	titles	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010
Rosenborg	22	1	5	5	1	1
Fredrikstad	9	8	8	2	14	-
Viking	8	11	3	6	10	9
Valerenga	5	3	7	10	7	2
Lillestrom	5	4	4	12	11	10
Brann	3	2	1	8	5	13
Start	2	6	14	-	9	8
Stabaek	1	5	2	1	3	12
Stromsgodset	1	-	10	11	12	7
Tromso	-	10	6	3	6	3
Molde	-	14	-	9	2	11
Odd Grenland	-	12	12	-	4	5
Aalesund	-	-	11	13	13	4
Haugesund	-	-	-	-	-	6
Sogndal	-	-	-	-	-	-
Sarpsborg	-	-	-	-	-	-

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

Jan Jonsson to coach Rosenborg

Rosenborg have made the decision to appoint Jan Jonsson as their new coach. The 50-year-old Swede has left his position as boss of Stabaek, having signed a contract with Rosenborg until the end of the 2014 season. Rosenborg have been looking for a long-term successor to Erik Hamren, who left the club in May to lead the Swedish national team. Coach Nils Arne Eggen was put in temporary charge. Meanwhile, Stabak have appointed Jorgen Lennartsson as their new coach. Before Stabaek, Lennartsson, 45, was the manager of the Swedish national junior team.

This page contains additional information about the 2011 Norwegian Premier league season. Latest news, statistics, results and predictions you can find on our main Euro Football > Norway page.

Solskjaer leaves Manchester United for Molde

Former Manchester United striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been appointed as manager of Molde. The 37-year-old has left his post as reserve team boss at Old Trafford to take up the job at his homeland club from which United signed him in 1996. Solskjaer replaces Uwe Rosler, who was in temporary charge at Molde having saved the team from relegation. Solskjaer scored 128 goals in 367 matches for Manchester United, but retired to a coaching role in 2007 after failing to recover from a knee injury.

#	team	points	g.dif.	win-draw-loss
1	Rosenborg	68	34	19-11-0 (30)

2	Valerenga	61	33	19-4-7 (30)
3	Tromso	50	6	14-8-8 (30)
4	Aalesund	47	9	14-5-11 (30)
5	Odd Grenland	46	7	12-10-8 (30)
6	Haugesund	45	12	12-9-9 (30)
7	Stromsgodset	43	-8	13-4-13 (30)
8	Start	42	-3	11-9-10 (30)
9	Viking	41	7	10-11-9 (30)
10	Lillestrom	40	7	9-13-8 (30)
11	Molde	40	-3	10-10-10 (30)
12	Stabaek	39	-1	11-6-13 (30)
13	Brann	34	-2	8-10-12 (30)

14	Honefoss	27	-34	7-6-17 (30)
15	Kongsvinger	20	-31	4-8-18 (30)
16	Sandefjord	12	-33	2-6-22 (30)

The final league standings for the 2009 season.

Rosenborg the favorite to win title

Defending champions Rosenborg remain clear favourite in the 2011 title-race. According to online bookmakers, the nearest challengers are Valerenga and Molde.

team	odds	team	odds
Rosenborg	2.5	Valerenga	3.5
Molde	5	Viking	12
Tromso	21	Stabaek	21
Lillestrom	25	Start	41
Odd Grenland	41	Aalesund	51
Brann	51	Stromsgodset	67
Haugesund	81	Fredrikstad	101
Sogndal	151	Sarpsborg	151

The preseason odds for the outright winner of the 2011 Norwegian football league posted by online bookmakers.

Norwegian Cup finals in last five seasons

2006 Fredrikstad - Sandefjord 3:0
2007 Lillestrom - Haugesund 2:0
2008 Valerenga - Stabaek 4:1
2009 Aalesund - Molde 2:2 (5:4 on penalties)
2010 Stromsgodset - Follo 2:0

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key players
(with transfer market value in m€)

Aalesund

Goalkeeper Sten Grytebust (0.2); Defense: Jonathan Parr (1.1), Daniel Arnefjord (0.7), Jonatan Tollas (0.6), Ville Jalasto (0.5), Amund Robertsen Skiri (0.8); Midfield: Fredrik Carlsen (0.8), Pablo Herrera (0.7), Demar Phillips (0.7); Forward: Magnus Sylling Olsen (0.4), Kjell Rune Sellin (0.3).

Brann

Goalkeeper Hakon Opdal (0.4); Defense: Zsolt Korcsmar (0.8), Christian Kalvenes (0.5), Birkir Mar Saevarsson (0.5), Yaw Ihle Amankwah (0.4), Lars Grorud (0.4); Midfield: Rodolph Austin (1), Carl-Erik Torp (0.5), Erik Mjelde (0.5); Forward: Bentley (1.5), Diego Guastavino (1).

Fredrikstad

Goalkeeper Jon Masalin (0.3); Defense: Raio Piiroja (0.5), Jorgen Horn (0.3), Joachim Thomassen (0.3), Cristian Gamboa (0.3); Midfield: Simen Rafn (0.4), Mads Hansen (0.3), Amin Askar (0.3), Hans Erik Ramberg (0.3); Forward: Tarik Elyounoussi (1.4), Celso Borges (0.5).

Haugesund

Goalkeeper Per Morten Kristiansen (0.4); Defense: Joakim Vage Nilsen (1), Are Tronseth (0.6), Vegard Skjerve (0.5); Midfield: Jacob Sorensen (0.9), Eirik Maeland (0.9), Jarle Steinsland (0.6), Umaru Bangura (0.6), Tor Arne Andreassen (0.6); Forward: Nikola Djurdjic (1.2), Thomas Sorum (1).

Lillestrom

Goalkeeper Stefan Logi Magnusson (0.5); Defense: Frode Kippe (1.4), Karim Essediri (0.8), Lars-Kristian Eriksen (0.4), Steinar Pedersen (0.3); Midfield: Nosa Emanuel Igiebor (1.5), Espen Sogard (0.7), Mathis Bolly (0.3); Forward: Anthony Ujah (1.3), Bjorn Bergmann Sigurdarson (0.8), Arild Sundgot (0.7).

Molde

Goalkeeper Espen Bugge Pettersen (1.2); Defense: Vegard Forren (1.4), Emil Johansson (0.9), Borre Steenslid (0.7), Christian Steen (0.6); Midfield: Magne Hoseth (1.9), Makhtar Thioune (1.4), Daniel Berg Hestad (1); Forward: Mattias Mostrom (0.8), Davy Claude Angan N'Guessan (0.8), Pape Pate Diouf (0.6).

Odd Grenland

Goalkeeper Andreas Lie (0.5); Defense: Steffen Hagen (1.2), Morten Fevang (0.9), Fredrik Semb Berge (0.5); Midfield: Simen Brenne (1.3), Jone Samuelsen (1.1), Magnus Lekven (0.9), John Anders Bjorkoy (0.6), Havard Storbaek (0.4); Forward: Torgeir Borven (0.8), Frode Johnsen (0.6).

Rosenborg

Goalkeeper Daniel Orlund (1.6); Defense: Mikael Lustig (2.4), Mattias Bjarsmyr (2), Mikael Dorsin (1.5), Jim Larsen (0.8); Midfield: Markus Henriksen (2.4), Per Ciljan Skjelbred (2.3), Fredrik Winsnes (0.5); Forward: Rade Prica (1.8), Daniel Fredheim Holm (1.5), Trond Olsen (0.8).

Sarpsborg

Goalkeeper Magnus Hjulstad (0.3); Defense: Ole Christoffer Heieren Hansen (0.4), Kjetil Berge (0.4), Berat Jusufi (0.4), Magnar Odegaard (0.4); Midfield: Joachim Jorgensen (0.4), Tom Erik Breive (0.4), Morten Giaever (0.4), Michael Ron (0.3); Forward: Martin Wiig (0.4), Oyvind Hoas (0.4).

Sogndal

Goalkeeper Kenneth Udjus (0.2); Defense: Per Egil Flo (0.5), Even Hovland (0.4), Eivind Daniel Roed (0.3); Midfield: Eirik Bakke (0.7), Ole Jorgen Halvorsen (0.5), Ahyee Aye Elvis (0.4), Henrik Luggenes Furebotn (0.4), Barry Kader (0.4); Forward: Espen Olsen (0.4), Joakim Rudolfsen (0.2).

Stabaek

Goalkeeper Jon Knudsen (1); Defense: Vegar Eggen Hedenstad (1), Bjarni Olafur Eiriksson (0.4), Morten Morisbak Skjonsberg (0.4), Jorgen Paulov Hammer (0.3); Midfield: Pontus Farnerud (2.4), Henning Hauger (1.2), Mikkel Diskerud (1), Johan Andersson (0.8); Forward: Veigar Pall Gunnarsson (1.1), Palmi Rafn Palmason (0.2).

Start

Goalkeeper Kenneth Hoie (0.6); Defense: Birger Madsen (0.8), Brian Priske (0.7), Jesper Mathisen (0.5); Midfield: Solomon James Owello (1), Espen Hoff (0.9), Espen Borufsen (0.8), Christer Kleiven (0.8), Fredrik Stromstad (0.7); Forward: Mads Stokkelien (0.5), Ole Martin Arst (0.4).

Stromsgodset

Goalkeeper Adam Larsen Kwarasey (0.4); Defense: Glenn Andersen (0.8), Alexander Aas (0.5), Lars Christopher Vilsvik (0.5), Lars Saetra (0.4); Midfield: Jo Inge Berget (1), Fredrik Lund Nordkvelle (0.7), Andre Hanssen (0.5); Forward: Oyvind Storflor (0.8), Ola Kamara (0.7), Muhamed Keita (0.6).

Tromso

Goalkeeper Marcus Sahlman (0.8); Defense: Miika Koppinen (1.5), Tom Hogli (1.5), Fredrik Bjorck (1.3), Tore Reginiussen (1), Hans Age Yndestad (0.9); Midfield: Kara (2.5), Ruben Yttergard Jenssen (1.8), Magnus Andersen (0.3); Forward: Remi Johansen (0.9), Mostafa Abdellaoue (0.5).

Valerenga

Goalkeeper Lars Hirschfeld (1); Defense: Andre Muri (1.4), Stefan Strandberg (1.3), Fredrik Stoor (0.8), Andreas Nordvik (0.7); Midfield: Harmeet Singh (1.9), Kristofer Haestad (1.7), Mohammed Fellah (1.6), Bojan Zajic (1); Forward: Luton Shelton (1.8), Yssouf Kone (1.6).

Viking

Goalkeeper Rune Almenning Jarstein (0.9); Defense: Indridi Sigurdsson (0.9), Hakon Skogsgeid (0.7), Trond Erik Bertelsen (0.4); Midfield: Andre Danielsen (1), Birkir Bjarnason (0.8), Tomasz Sokozowski (0.7), Tommy Knarvik (0.7); Forward: Erik Nevland (1.5), Patrik Ingelsten (0.7), Bengt Saeternes (0.5).

Norwegian Premier Division pages

Norwegian Premier Division statistics, news, predictions
Norwegian Premier Division standings
Norwegian Premier Division transfers
Premier Division 2011 preview - key players, 2010 standings