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.