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.

Take On Me

Well, here’s the plan. A site dedicated to Norwegian and Scandinavian football for those who of you aren’t big enough a-ha fans* to have learnt the language yourself. You will always be able to get results and the bare facts online, but this is an attempt to provide the more in-depth and extensive coverage in English not available anywhere else. As with most websites it is very much a work in progress, and will not get it’s official ‘launch’ before the Norwegian season starts again in April 2009. Until then, the website will hopefully start to take shape and resemble something with a useful and interesting content. I will hopefully be back soon to deliver a review of the season now coming to its end in Norway, with a specific focus on the champions-elect, Stabæk.

Cheers,
Christian

* The first of endless lame a-ha references, I assure you.

BBC - Scots beware Norway sting

Article written for bbc.co.uk about the current state of Norwegian football and the national team before their World Cup qualifier with Scotland in October:

When Aage Hareide was appointed Norway's national coach in 2004, he boldly declared his ambition to 'create great moments' for the Norwegian supporters.
Four years on and those fans are getting impatient...

Read the full article at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/7659332.stm