Christian Kalvenes interview - the story of Norway's most unlikely Premiership player

Three years ago Christian Kalvenes was a 29-year old reserve left-back with Brann Bergen in the Norwegian league, having played only 11 games in his last four seasons, never managing to dislodge his team-mate Erland Hanstveit from the left-back position. Hanstveit had been on the fringes of the national squad for several years, gaining five caps, and had always been the preferred first choice at Brann. During his playing career Kalvenes had obtain a master in Business Management and the end of his football career was, if not imminent, than certainly on the horizon.

There was no indication that a chain of events were about to be set in motion that only three season later would end with Kalvenes playing Premier League football in England. First Hanstveit sustained an injury with Kalvenes taking his place, and putting together a good run of performances, especially in Brann's games in the qualifying rounds of the UEFA Cup. At the same time his Scottish team-mate Charlie Miller learnt that one of his former clubs, Dundee United, were looking to fill a gap on the left-side of their defence. Miller recommended Kalvenes and suitable impressed by his performances the then manager Craig Brewster brought the Norwegian over for only £50.000.

For Kalvenes, it was a very happy choice. He settled down well in Dundee with his pregnant wife Janicke and thrived in the club, especially after Brewster was replaced by former Scotland defender Craig Levein. It became the realisation of a boyhood dream of playing professional football abroad, a taste of the British football culture so loved and supported in Norway.

Visiting Kalvenes in Dundee it was clear he enjoyed every minute of his own football adventure in Scotland, grateful for what he had experienced and that he had been given the opportunity to fulfil a life-long ambition. He was the opposite of the stereotypical professional footballer and was universally liked by players, management and fans alike in Dundee. He also developed immensely as a player under Levein, offering United both offensive and defensive qualities with his attacking runs and presence at dead ball situations. He was an integral part of a United team that improved immensely under Levein, finishing 9th and then 5th in his two seasons there. With his contract running out at the end of the 07/08 season the then 31-year old was all set to move back to Norway and contemplating full retirement from football.

Kalvenes admits that when the offer came from Burnley it was irresistible. 'I had to run it by the family but it was the one opportunity I just couldn't turn down '. With hindsight, it must have been a very simple decision. A year later Kalvenes walked out in front of 75 00 people at Wembley to face Sheffield United in the play-off final. It was dubbed the £60 million game, but it was also his last chance to fulfil the most far-fetch of boyhood dreams; playing at the top level of English football. 'It was by far the greatest thing I've ever experience as a football player. I had scored at Ibrox in my debut and played a cup-final in Scotland but nothing will ever match that game'. Wade Elliott's goal brought Burnley to the Premier League and Kalvenes from the subs bench at Brann Bergen to the most famous league in the world in only three seasons - a remarkable turnaround made all the more special for a player coming close to the end of his career.

As a life-long Liverpool supporter Kalvenes is in no doubt over which game he's most looking forward to this season. However, life in the Premier League might provide a very rude awakening from the start for Burnley. Playing Manu U, Everton, Chelsea and Liverpool in four of their first five matches, the opening match against Stoke will be viewed by observers as Burnley's only realistic chance of getting a Premier League point any time soon. 'We're focusing on the Stoke game of course, but this is the hardest league in the world. We'll think about Man United and the other top teams when they are standing on the other side of the pitch, but not before'.

While Kalvenes is saying the right things, the game against Stoke could turn out to be more important than a normal opening fixture. A point or even a win can be a catalyst for the team to go on and give strong and assured performances against the big teams, while a loss could easily lead to a return of zero points from the first five games.

Kalvenes is also aware of the similarities being made between Burnley and West Bromwich Albion, the team who finished bottom of the Premiership last season. They are both known for keeping the ball down and their willingness to attack, and while West Brom got plaudits for sticking to their principles in the Premier League they were not able to turn their style of football into goals, their defensive frailties exposed by the quality of the opposition. Kalvenes insist that what will keep Burnley up this season has just as much to do with what the team does off the ball. 'We will work tireless when we're not in possession, harassing the opponent constantly. While we like to keep the ball on the ground we will always go forward quickly and with intent - it is that way of playing that brought us both league and cup success last season and if we can replicate it this year we'll have a good season '

Stoke was by far the best promoted team in the Premier League last season, a very respectable 12th place achieved partly by the record-signing of James Beattie in the January transfer window. Burnley are hoping their own record signing, Steven Fletcher, will help score the goals required to survive this year. While Kalvenes is complimentary about the £3 million striker brought from Hibernian, he's adamant that it's not up to one player this season. 'It's all about the collective this season; everyone needs to perform to stand a chance in this league'.

Kalvenes played 21 games last season at left-back, ending the season as Owen Coyle's first-choice. The competition has heated up this season, with both Steven Jordan and Brian Easton challenging him for a place in the starting line-up, Jordan playing more minutes than him in the last two pre-season friendlies. Kalvenes know the competition will be though, but he's well adverse in taking his chance when he gets it, as he proved in his days at Brann.

He's insisting that he has never considered the possibility of a national team call-up. 'The national team has a very strong left-back in John Arne Riise and at my age it will always be more unlikely that you are given a first call-up'. He must know however that Egil Olsen, in his second stint as Norway manager, is not adverse to bringing experience into the squad; in the recent World cup qualifier against Holland he gave a debut to the 34-year centre half Morten Fevang.

While arguing that his main focus is solely on getting into the Burley team, he's honest enough to admit that he's probably closer than ever to the national team: 'I suppose any Norwegian player that performs well in the Premier League will be considered by the national team'. That's as far as the humble left-back from Bergen will be drawn on the subject. With one year left of his contract with Burnley, he is more than contempt with finally reaching the pinnacle of his career and playing in the most famous league in the world. While it might well be his last season, Christian Kalvenes can't wait to make it another chapter to remember in his amazing journey from Brann's reserves to the Premier League.

Pressure? It's all on George.

Steven Pressley's assertion that Norway will be under pressure to get a result in their World Cup qualifying game against Scotland was only a standard pre-match statement designed to deflect attention from his own team. But not only was it the usual formulaic answer during another uninteresting press-conference, it also had no relation to the actual state of affairs three days before Scotland's assistant manager and his team face the Norwegians in Oslo.

The truth is that the pressure on Norway is minimal. Even a win against Scotland would still mean they are dependant on other results going their way in order to finish second behind Holland in Group Nine. And that is nothing compared to the plenitude of results in the other qualifying groups that also needs to go in Norway's favour if they are to become one of the eight best runner-ups to go on to the play-off stage. With three points after five games and not a home win in a competitive match for two years, the mood in Norway before Wednesday’s game is more in anticipation of seeing the final nail being hammered into the proverbial coffin for the team's World Cup hope, than even a glimmer of hope that it may be the start of a miraculous recovery.

Compare that situation with Scotland's predicament; a draw will almost guarantee them second place in the group but the team require at least seven, and preferably nine points, from their three last games. Due to face a superb Holland team in their last group game, nothing less than a win in Oslo would be a major blow to their World Cup hopes

The stark contrast also extends to the two coaches. Egil Olsen has nothing to prove to the Norwegian football public, having lead the team from international obscurity to consecutive World Cup's in the 1990s, his status as a football legend already cemented in the national conscience.

He's done reasonably well in his second stint at the helm since taking over as caretaker manager from Åge Hareide in January, but friendly wins over Germany and Finland was followed by a disappointing draw in Macedonia and a loss to Holland in the pre-summer qualifying matches. He might be handed a two-year extension until the Norwegian FA's preferred choice, Ståle Solbakken of FC Copenhagen, is available, but there will be no media speculation around his job leading up to the match, and no need for the experienced 67-year old to prove his capacity to fulfil the role.

George Burley is certainly not in such a comfortable position. He's been much criticised on several fronts after taking the Scotland job last year; for the mediocre results and performances of his team, his man-management of players such as Kris Boyd and the way he handled of the controversy around Barry Ferguson and Alan McGregor this spring.

Burley has yet to prove that he is capable of being a successful international manager and the Tartan Army reservations about him being the right man for the job have only become greater. Add to this the string of injury problems depleting his squad against Norway, and he finds himself in a very pressurised situation before the Wednesday's showdown in Oslo.

So while a draw will leave Scotland as the only with any chance of still qualifying for the World Cup, the result will arguably provide more disappointment among the Scots. The Norwegian fans, having become accustomed to disappointments over last few years, are only in danger of being positively surprised on Wednesday.

Norway bring in hat-trick hero Hoseth against Scotland

After this weekend's matches, Egil Olsen has decided to bring in the round's star performer into the Norway squad to face Scotland in the world cup qualifying game on the 12th August.

Magne Hoseth scored a hat-trick in only seven minutes as his Molde side demolished Start 8-1 at home. His first two goals were both cool finishes from the edge of the area, while a well executed penalty gave him his third and his team's fifth goal just before half-time. Watching from the stand, Olsen was so impressed with Hoseth that he added him to the squad he had already announced earlier last week.

Early in his career Hoseth was regarded as one of the greatest talents in Norwegian football but he never achieved an international breakthrough, his only spell abroad being a year with FC Copenhagen in 2004-05. Now 28, he's had a great season with a resurgent Molde side. His six goals in 12 starts have been an integral part in propelling the team to second place, their highest league position since they regularly threaten Rosenborg's league hegemony in the late 1990s.

Molde did gain two points on league leaders Rosenborg, who could only draw 1-1 away to Odd Grenland. The veteran midfielder Roar Stand's equaliser salvaged a point for Rosenborg, continuing their unbeaten run. With 2/3 of the season played they are edging closer to their first ever undefeated season, something they didn’t even manage during their 13 successive league championships between 1992 and 2004. Rosenborg are still four points ahead of Molde with a game in hand and look likely to clinch their first league title since 2006.

At the other end of the table, bottom placed Lyn could only draw at home to Brann in their first game after firing their head coach Kent Bergersen, the former Stockport County midfielder. Nigerian international Paul Obiefule gave the home side a 2-1 lead with a superb strike, but young Lyn defender Magne Simonsen scored an own goal which denied his side victory. With their 10th draw in 20 games, Lyn are now seven points from safety and are odds on for relegation.


Magne Hoseth has been called up to the Norway squad to face Scotland after scoring a hat-trick during Molde's 8-1 demolition of Start this weekend.

Full results for match day 20:

Moss – Start 8-1 (5-0)
Bodø/Glimt – Sandefjord 1-0 (0-0)
Fredrikstad – Viking 1-0 (1-0)
Lillestrøm – Tromsø 2-2 (0-2)
Stabæk – Aalesund 3-0 (2-0)
Strømsgodset – Vålerenga 3-0 (1-0)
Odd Grenland – Rosenborg 1-1 (1-0)
Lyn – Brann 2-2 (1-1)

Free (and legal) highlights are available from the website of Norwegian broadcaster TV2 for a few days after each match day. Go to www.tv2sporten.no/fotball/ and on the right side there will be a scrolling menu of videos that includes match incidents, goals and highlights. Search for the video called 'høydepunkter' for each match for the full highlights (registration is required the first time you play a video)

Rosenborg's Tettey move to Rennes

Rosenborg, the current leader of the Norwegian league, has sold one of the country's brightest talents to the French club Rennes. Alexander Tettey made his debut for the club in 2004, only 17 years old. Now 23, Tettey has been a regular in the Rosenborg team the last few seasons, scoring 12 goals in 89 league matches from his central midfield position.

With four international caps for Norway and eight appearances in the Champions League with Rosenborg, Tettey has experience of top-level football and will be expected to make an immediate impact in France. While the two clubs have agreed to keep the transfer fee undisclosed, the move is estimated to have cost Rennes around 5 million euro.

Rosenborg have previously resisted several offers for Tettey, but it is thought that their shock defeat to Azerbaijani side Qarabag in the second qualifying round of the Europa League was the deciding factor in the decision to let one of their major talents leave the club.

Tettey will be the third Norwegian player in the French league, with Daniel Braathen and Torstein Helstad both performing well last season for Toulouse and Le Mans respectively.

Alexander Tettey scoring against Vålerenga in a 3-0 win earlier this year, one of his five goals this season

A European Nightmare

Serious questions are again being asked about the current state of Norwegian football. The national team have not won a qualifying match since beating Malta almost two years ago and looks set to lose out on their fifth major tournament in row. The domestic league sides are following the same trend, as there is now a distinct possibility that no Norwegian clubs will reach the main stages of any of the European club competitions this season.

It started with the biggest shock of all, Rosenborg's elimination in the second qualifying round of the Europa League. The Trondheim side have been a Champions League stalwart since its conception, with a total of eleven appearances between 1995 and 2007. Having gone through a transitional period the last few years, this season the club have again looked like the unbeatable machine that won 13 league titles in a row between 1992 and 2004. Dominating the Norwegian league throughout the first half the season, they are still undefeated and six points clear of second placed Molde.

Expectations were high that they would also rekindle their European form of years past. Instead they found a way to lose 1-0 on aggregate against Qarabag, the team that finished 5th in the Azerbaijani league last season. It was a body blow to a team that wanted a productive and long European campaign to vet the appetite for what look set to be another attempt at the Champions League next season.

Last season's league champions, Stabæk, was given a draw much closer to home in the third qualifying round to the Champions League, with FC Copenhagen of Denmark welcoming them in the first leg. Despite a good performance they face an uphill battle in the second leg, going down 3-1 to the team coached by former Norwegian international, Stale Solbakken.

At least they are still in with a fighting chance to qualify, which cannot be said for last year’s runner up in the Norwegian league, Fredrikstad. Even with home advantage they were demolished by Polish side Lech Poznan, a 6-1 loss ending their hopes of qualifying for the Europe League first round. Vålerenga's loss in the same competition was at least a bit more respectable but they still disappointed, going down 2-1 at home to Greek side PAOK FC.

The only good performance during a terrible few weeks of international football for Norwegian clubs came from the most northern team in this year's Europa League, Tromsø. They came from a goal down to take a 2-1 lead to Croatia, where NK Slaven Koprivnica can still ensure that there will be no teams from Norway joining the main stage of the two European competitions. That would be another sad indictment of the current state of Norwegian football.

Sigurd Rushfeldt's Tromsø is the only Norwegian side left with a realistic chance to go through to the Europa League 1st round.

Egil Olsen vows to attack Scots

link to same article published on bbc.co.uk: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/8175153.stm

Egil Olsen has promised an attacking approach against Scotland on 12 August in Oslo as he tries to salvage Norway's World Cup qualification hopes.

Norway, who sit bottom of Group Nine, need a victory to revive their hopes of a play-off place.

"I think Scotland would be satisfied with a draw, but that's not an option for us," said Norway coach Olsen. "It will be crucial for us to challenge them down the wings and the full-backs I selected are a reflection of that."

Young, offensive full-backs, such as Viking Stavanger's Trond Erik Bertelsen, Tromsø's Tom Høgli and Espen Ruud from Odd Grenland, have been included in Olsen's squad along with the experienced John Arne Riise.

It means that Christian Kalvenes has again been overlooked, despite the former Dundee United left-back being poised for a season in the Barclays Premier League after helping Burnley win promotion.

Even winning their three remaining games would not guarantee Norway a place among the eight teams in the play-offs in what has been dubbed as "mission impossible" in Olsen's homeland.

"The fact that we have to win this game has influenced both the selection of the squad and the way we will approach the match tactically," said Olsen, who is facing his first home qualifier in his second spell as national coach. "I expect Scotland to be very well organised defensively, keeping plenty of players behind the ball at all time."

There were no surprise inclusions in the returning coach's squad, which includes Bjørn Helge Riise, the brother of John Arne and the newest player in the Premier League, having signed for Fulham from Lillestrøm this summer.

The defence will again be marshalled by centre-half Brede Hangeland, who after a great season with Fulham has been linked to both Manchester City and Arsenal during the summer transfer window. Veteran goalkeeper Jon Knudsen, who received his debut in the away leg against Scotland in October, is set to keep his place.

Norway's two other high-profile Premier League players, John Carew and Morten Gamst Pedersen, are likely to lead the attack against the Scots. Pedersen's performance will be closely followed after he made rude gestures to the large section of supporters who booed him during the last home game against Finland in April. Norwegian fans have for a long time been largely unimpressed by the way its most famous players have performed on the international stage, with particular ire directed towards Pedersen.

He is almost certain to start on the left side of the attack, with the current form player in the Norwegian league, Erik Huseklepp, in contention for the right-sided position, and Carew spearheading the expected 4-5-1 formation.

While Norway's perceived advantage of playing Scotland in the middle of their domestic season has been much discussed, half of their starting line-up is likely to consist of players who have just finished pre-season training with their foreign clubs.

Scotland, who presenlty lie second in the group, will also take comfort that they have only once lost in Norway. That was in 1963, while the Scots won their most recent encounter in Oslo four years ago, with Kenny Miller scoring both goals.

Brann's Erik Huseklepp could be given the responsibility of breaking down the Scottish defence

Full squad to face Scotland:

Goalkeepers: Jon Knudsen (Stabæk), Rune Jarstein (Rosenborg)

Defenders: Trond Erik Bertelsen (Viking), Brede Hangeland (Fulham), Tom Høgli (Tromsø), Tore Reginiussen (Tromsø), John Arne Riise (AS Roma), Espen Ruud (Odd Grenland), Kjetil Wæhler (Aalborg)

Midfielders: Simen Brenne (Odd Grenland), Christian Grindheim (Heerenveen), Henning Hauger (Stabæk), Bjørn Helge Riise (Fulham), Per Ciljan Skjelbred (Rosenborg), Fredrik Winsnes (Strømsgodset)

Forwards: Steffen Iversen (Rosenborg), Morten Gamst Pedersen (Blackburn), Thorstein Helstad (Le Mans), Erik Huseklepp (Brann), John Carew (Aston Villa), Daniel Braathen (Toulouse)

Return of the Alchemist

Rabbie Burns, Alex Salmond, Wiliam Wallace, Alexander Graham Bell, are your boys going to take a hell of a beating? While George Burley’s fixture wishes did come true, there should be a much bigger concern among Scottish fans before this summer’s World Cup qualifier against Norway. Suddenly there is a distinct sense of purpose and self-belief starting to spread throughout Norwegian football and it’s all permeating from the coach everyone thought had slipped permanently into the history books. Egil Olsen is back in charge.

It has taken just two months and one game to turn the collective mood of Norwegian football from resignation and disillusionment to an air of invincibility and genuine hope that the glory days are back. After a disastrous 2008 in which they didn’t win a single game, head coach Åge Hareide’s resignation was expected but there were still no sign of a bright new dawn, with a noticeable lack of enthusiasm about any of his possible successors. Roy Hodgson was never going to leave the riches of the Premier League for a return to Scandinavia and Norway’s most successful foreign coach, Trond Sollied, still had unfinished business with Heerenveen in the Dutch League. Jan Jönsson, the Swede who lead Stabæk to their first Norwegian league title last year was admired for the team’s attractive football, but had also relied heavily on foreign imports. When even Hareide’s uninspiring predecessor, Nils Johan Semb, was mentioned as a possible candidate, Norwegian fans could be excused for seeing no light at the end of the tunnel.

Then in a rare moment of inspiration the Norwegian FA decided to hire the same interim manager as they had done two decades ago. When Egil Olsen was promoted from the U21 team to take temporally charge of the senior squad in 1990, it was the catalyst for the most successful years in Norwegian football. Wins in qualifying matches over Italy, Holland and England were among the highlights as he led Norway to successive World Cups in 94 and 98, their first major championships since 1938.

Having drawn with Morocco in the opening group game in France in 1998 and denied a victory against Scotland by Craig Burley, Norway and Olsen was supposed to bow out gracefully against Brazil. A win for either Scotland or Morocco in their last group encounter meant Norway would have to beat the reigning world champions to qualify for the second stage of the tournament. With Scotland again self-imploding against a rampant Moroccan side, everything was following the expected script. When Bebeto made it 1-0 to Brazil in the 78th minute, nobody could have envisaged that the twelve greatest minutes in Norwegian sporting history were about to unfold. First Tore Andre Flo equalised with a sublime goal before Norway was awarded a penalty with three minutes left. With a collective nation hiding behind the couch, Kjetil Rekdal stepped up in his yellow boots and fired Norway into the second round of the world cup and crowning Olsen’s reign with the most incredible of wins.

The next decade was not as successful for Olsen. He was fired by Wimbledon as the club headed towards relegation and a new existence as MK Dons, had mixed success with two Norwegian clubs and a bewildering spell in charge of the Iraqi national team. His fortunes were mirrored by those of the Norway team who experienced a gradual decline, reaching it’s nadir in 2008 as they face the distinct possibility of missing on qualification to the fifth major tournament in a row. After all their history together, it seems that there are still some unfinished business between Olsen and Norway. His appointment as caretaker manager at 66 years of age, though very surprising, seems to have galvanized both the football community and the coach who lead the team to its greatest triumphs. The players who had looked so disinterested and devoid of passion during Hareide’s reign, seemed re-born in Olsen’s first game in charge, away to Germany. An impressive 1-0 victory in Dusseldorf was the result, which flattered the hosts more than a Norwegian team without it’s biggest star, John Carew.

While a friendly win against a German team just back from their winter league break is not conclusive proof of the resurgence of Norwegian football, its supporters are certainty not splitting hairs. Where they once had misgiving about Olsen’s regime of defensive discipline and supposed long-ball tactics, they seem to have realised that Norway are more likely to be successful when the players apply themselves wholeheartedly to Olsen’s overarching principles of ‘effective football’: strict zonal defending, moving play up field as quickly as possible without unnecessarily delay and an immense work rate. More importantly perhaps is the instant devotion he receives from his players, founded on the belief that he has the tactical answers to beat any opponent, even world champions. The Norwegian FA, basking in their rare moment of effective decision-making, are now falling over themselves to extend Olsen’s contract to the end of the qualifying campaign. So while the bubble might yet burst for Norway and its fans, there is very real sense of hope and enthusiasm around the team as they look towards the second part of the qualifying campaign. It’s based on the expectation that the good times have returned together with the man who once made the impossible possible. George Burley must be hoping Egil Olsen’s halo has been somewhat tarnished by the time he brings his squad to Oslo in August. If not, his team might be in line for a hell of a beating.