Eliteserien

First division football league in Norway

For other leagues named Eliteserien, see Eliteserien (disambiguation).

Not to be confused with Elitserien.

Football league

Eliteserien

Founded| 1937; 85 years ago (1937)
2017–present (as Eliteserien)
1990–2016 (as Tippeligaen)
1963–1989 (as 1. divisjon)
1948–1962 (as Hovedserien)
1937–1948 (as Norgesserien)
Country| Norway
Confederation| UEFA
Number of teams| 16
Level on pyramid| 1
Relegation to| Norwegian First Division
Domestic cup(s)| Norwegian Cup
Mesterfinalen
International cup(s)| UEFA Champions League
UEFA Europa Conference League
Current champions| Bodø/Glimt (2nd title)
(2021)
Most championships| Rosenborg (26 titles)
Most appearances| Daniel Berg Hestad (473)
Top goalscorer| Sigurd Rushfeldt (172 goals)
TV partners| Discovery
Eleven Sports
Website| Eliteserien
NFF
Norsk Toppfotball
Current: 2022 Eliteserien

Eliteserien (Norwegian pronunciation: [ɛˈlîːtəˌseːrɪən]) is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Norwegian First Division.

Seasons run from March to November with each team playing 30 matches (playing each other home and away). Most games are played on Sunday evenings.

Eliteserien was founded in 1937 as Norgesserien (English: The League of Norway), and the first season was the 1937–38 season. The structure and name of Eliteserien, along with Norway's other football leagues, has undergone frequent changes. The top level was renamed Hovedserien in 1948, 1\. divisjon (now used by the second level league in Norway) in 1963, then Tippeligaen (named for the main sponsor) in 1990. Starting with the 2017 season the league adopted the current Eliteserien, after NFF decided to totally drop any sponsor's names from the name of the league.[1] The broadcasting rights were in December 2015 secured by Discovery Networks who signed a six-year deal giving them rights to broadcast all the 240 games in Eliteserien from 2017 to 2023. The deal was worth NOK 2.4 billion.[2] The league generates NOK 400 million per year in domestic television rights.[2]

Seventeen clubs have won the title since the inception of the league in 1937: Rosenborg (26), Fredrikstad (9), Viking (8), Lillestrøm (5), Vålerenga (5), Molde (4), Brann (3), Larvik Turn (3), Bodø/Glimt (2), Lyn (2), Start (2), Strømsgodset (2), Fram Larvik (1), Freidig (1), Moss (1), Skeid (1) and Stabæk (1). In 2010, Rosenborg became, and still remain, the only club to complete an Eliteserien campaign without losing a single game. The record of most points in a season is 81 by Bodø/Glimt in 2020. Since its establishment as a one-group top flight in 1963, forty-eight clubs have competed in Eliteserien.

## Contents

* 1 History
* 1.1 Early years (1937–1948)
* 1.2 Hovedserien (1948–1962)
* 1.3 1\. divisjon (1963–1989)
* 1.4 Recent years (1990–present)
* 2 Competition format
* 2.1 Competition
* 2.2 Changes in competition format
* 2.3 Eliteserien teams in international competition
* 3 Clubs
* 3.1 Current members
* 4 List of champions
* 4.1 Medalists by year
* 4.2 Medalists by club
* 4.3 Honoured clubs
* 5 Sponsorship
* 6 Broadcasters
* 7 Stadiums
* 8 Managers
* 9 Statistics
* 9.1 League ranking and European qualification
* 9.2 Attendance
* 10 Players
* 10.1 Individual records
* 10.1.1 Most appearances
* 10.1.2 Most goals scored
* 10.2 Foreign players
* 11 Awards
* 11.1 Trophy
* 12 See also
* 13 Notes and references
* 14 External links

## History[edit]

### Early years (1937–1948)[edit]

Before 1937, there was no national league competition in Norway; only regional leagues and the Norwegian Cup. Starting in 1937–38, the various regional leagues in Southern Norway were aligned into eight districts, with a championship playoff between the winners to crown a national champion. This competition was called Norgesserien (English: The League of Norway). In the early years, the top flight teams were divided into eleven groups from eight districts. The league champion was decided in either a knockout tournament or a final between the winners of these groups. Fredrikstad was the first champions of the league, winning the 1937–38 season. They won the two-legged final against Lyn 4–0 on aggregate. Fredrikstad defended their title in the 1938–39 season. From the 1937–38 season and until the beginning of World War II, the teams were divided into eight district groups. There were plans at the time to merge the district leagues into a national competition, but because of World War II, this process was delayed until after the war, although also the first post-war season in 1947–48 had eleven district-based groups.

### Hovedserien (1948–1962)[edit]

In 1948, Hovedserien (English: The Main League) was created, consisting of the 16 top teams from the district leagues, who were placed into two groups of eight, with the group winners playing a two-legged final for the national championship at the end of the season. This format was in place from the 1948–49 season until 1960–61, when it was decided to merge the two groups into a single top division, and have the season follow the calendar year from 1963 onwards. The 1950s were dominated by Fredrikstad FK and Larvik Turn. Fredrikstad won their latest league title in 1960–61, which secured their ninth title out of sixteen possible. Larvik Turn won Hovedserien three times in four seasons from 1955–56. The 1961–62 season was played during 15 months. The teams from the two groups in the 1960–61 top division were put in one group consisting of 16 teams. The 1961–62 season became a transitional season, where the 16 top-flight teams were placed in a single group, playing a season that went on for 15 months and one half of its teams were relegated. Officially still known as Hovedserien, the 1961–62 season is often referred to as Maratonserien ("The Marathon League") due to its unusual length.[3] The Maratonserien was won by Brann.

### 1\. divisjon (1963–1989)[edit]

In 1963, a single top division containing ten teams was introduced, and the league was renamed 1\. divisjon (English: 1st Division). The first regular one-league season was played spring-autumn and was won by title defenders Brann in 1963. The league was expanded to 12 teams in 1972. Teams from Northern Norway were not allowed to gain promotion to the top division before 1972, when Mjølner became the first team from Northern Norway to play in the top flight, and until 1979 were subject to stricter promotion rules than teams from the rest of the country. Viking won the league four consecutive seasons beginning in 1972. Lillestrøm won back-to-back titles in 1976 and 1977. In 1979 teams from Northern Norway were given the same promotion rights as the rest of the country. In the beginning of the 1980s, Vålerengen were the dominant team, with their titles from 1981, 1983 and 1984.

### Recent years (1990–present)[edit]

The former logo of the league, Tippeligaen, which it was known as from 1990–2016.

In 1990, the league was renamed Tippeligaen, when Norsk Tipping became the main sponsor of the league.[4] When fans and media continued referring to the league as 1. divisjon, it was decided to let the second level league of Norwegian football "inherit" the name 1. divisjon in 1991, to help Tippeligaen establish as a brand.[5] Rosenborg of Trondheim won the first year the league bore the name Tippeligaen in 1990. Followed by a win by Viking of Stavanger in 1991. In 1992, Rosenborg started a run of 13 consecutive titles which lasted to the 2004 season. During the first years of Rosenborg's thirteen-year run, they won the league with substantial margins, only partly challenged by Bodø/Glimt, Molde, Lillestrøm and Brann. However, this was steadily narrowing down towards a dramatic finish in 2004, where the Trondheim team tied with Vålerenga of Oslo in game points and on goal difference, but finished ahead on number of goals scored. However, in 2005 the winning streak came to an end as Vålerenga clinched the title, one point ahead of Start of Kristiansand. Rosenborg was never in contention that season and would finish only 7th. In 2006, Rosenborg returned to the top of the league, coming back from 10 points behind Brann at the halfway point to clinch the title with a match to spare. Brann won the league in 2007, and Stabæk won their first-ever title in 2008. Rosenborg then returned for a two-year winning streak in 2009 and 2010. Molde's back-to-back titles in 2011 and 2012 makes it the only other club to win consecutive titles in the current format, and outside Rosenborg, the first team to do so since Vålerenga in 1983 and 1984.

In 2016 it was decided to change from the sponsorship name Tippeligaen to the non-sponsorship name Eliteserien, effecting from the 2017 season.[6] Rosenborg won the league four consecutive times from 2015 to 2018, before Molde ended their streak by winning the title in the 2019 season. Lillestrøm were relegated from the 2019 Eliteserien and ended their record spell with 45 consecutive top division seasons.

The league has been professional since 1992.[7] In 1995, Tippeligaen was expanded to 14 teams, and in 2009 it was further expanded to 16 teams.

## Competition format[edit]

### Competition[edit]

As of the 2022 season there are 16 clubs in the Eliteserien, seven of which are located in Eastern Norway, five are from Western Norway, two north of the Arctic Circle and one each are from Southern Norway and Trøndelag.

During the course of a season, each club plays the others twice, home and away, for a total of 30 games for each club, and a total of 240 games in a season. The season starts in March and lasts until early November. Rounds played during the weekends are usually broken up into two games on Saturdays, five games on Sundays and one game on either Fridays or Mondays. For the final two rounds, all games start simultaneously so that no club may gain an unfair advantage by knowing the results of other games in advance of kicking off their own.

The 16 May round, which is played the day before Norway's Constitution Day, 17 May, is one of the most anticipated rounds of the season. It is often referred to as the "national day of football"[8] and since it precedes a national holiday, games usually see higher attendance than other rounds.[9]

Teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points, then goal difference, goals scored, and then head-to-head records used to separate teams on equal points. At the end of each season, the club with the most points is crowned "League Winner". The title of "Norwegian Champions" is reserved for the winners of the Norwegian Football Cup. The two lowest placed teams are automatically relegated to the Norwegian First Division and the top two teams from the First Division take their place. The fourteenth placed team in Eliteserien is also in danger of being relegated and must enter play-offs against one team from the First Division to stay in the top flight.

### Changes in competition format[edit]

From  | To  | Group(s)  | Teams  | Match-weeks  | Season Start  | Season End  | Championship play-offs

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1937–38 | 11  | 74  | 10–12  | Autumn  | Spring  | Play-off with 11 teams
1938–39 | 75  | 10–14
1947–48 | 74  | 10–12  | Play-off with 8 teams
1948–49 | 1960–61 | 2  | 16  | 14  | Play-off final with 2 teams
1961–62 | 1  | 30  | Summer  | Next autumn  | —
1963 | 1971 | 10  | 18  | Spring  | Autumn
1972 | 1994 | 12  | 22
1995 | 2008 | 14  | 26
2009 | Present  | 16  | 30

### Eliteserien teams in international competition[edit]

Main article: Norwegian football clubs in European competitions

Rosenborg (11 times) and Molde (once) are the only Norwegian clubs to participate in the UEFA Champions League group stage. Rosenborg reached the quarterfinal in the 1996–97 season. They were eliminated by runners-up Juventus with 1–3 on aggregate. In the 1968–69 season, Lyn lost the European Cup Winners' Cup quarterfinal against runners-up Barcelona with 4–5 on aggregate. Brann lost the quarterfinal against Liverpool in the 1996–97 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and Vålerenga lost the quarterfinal against Chelsea in the 1998–99 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup with 2–6 on aggregate. Molde reached the round of 16 in UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League in the 2020-21 season.

## Clubs[edit]

### Current members[edit]

Aalesund

Bodø/Glimt

HamKam

Haugesund

Jerv

Kristiansund

Molde

Odd

Rosenborg

Sandefjord

Sarpsborg 08

Strømsgodset

Tromsø

Viking

Oslo

Oslo region teams:
Lillestrøm
Vålerenga

class=notpageimage|

Locations of the teams in 2022 Eliteserien

The following sixteen clubs are competing in the Eliteserien during the 2022 season.

Club  | Position
in 2021 | First season in
top division  | Seasons

top division  | First season of
current spell in
top division  | Top
division
titles  | Last top
division
title

|
|
|
|
|
|

Aalesund | 2nd (1D) | 2003 | 15 | 2022 | 0 | n/a
Bodø/Glimt | 1st | 1977[a] | 27 | 2018 | 2 | 2021
HamKam | 1st (1D) | 1970 | 22 | 2022 | 0 | n/a
Haugesund | 11th | 1997[b] | 16 | 2010 | 0 | n/a
Jerv | 3rd (1D) | 2022 | 1 | 2022 | 0 | n/a
Kristiansund | 6th | 2017 | 6 | 2017 | 0 | n/a
Lillestrøm | 4th | 1937–38 | 58 | 2021 | 5 | 1989
Molde | 2nd | 1939–40 | 46 | 2008 | 4 | 2019
Odd | 13th | 1937–38 | 41 | 2009 | 0 | n/a
Rosenborg | 5th | 1937–38 | 59 | 1979 | 26 | 2018
Sandefjord | 10th | 2006 | 11 | 2020 | 0 | n/a
Sarpsborg 08 | 8th | 2011 | 11 | 2013 | 0 | n/a
Strømsgodset | 9th | 1938–39 | 35 | 2007 | 2 | 2013
Tromsø | 12th | 1986[a] | 34 | 2021 | 0 | n/a
Vålerenga | 7th | 1937–38 | 62 | 2002 | 5 | 2005
Viking | 3rd | 1937–38 | 72 | 2019 | 8 | 1991

Notes

1. ^ a b Northern Norwegian teams were not allowed to qualify for the top flight division before 1972.
2. ^ FK Haugesund is the result of a merger between SK Haugar and Djerv 1919. These two clubs participated in the Norwegian top flight in 1981 and 1988, respectively.

## List of champions[edit]

Main article: List of Norwegian football league champions

Below is a list of the gold, silver and bronze medalists in the Norwegian top flight since its beginning in 1937–38. (The Norwegian Cup has been played since 1902, and is still officially known as the Norwegian Championship, presented with "The King's Cup".) During 1937–1948 the name of the league was Norgesserien ("The League of Norway"), 1948–1962 Hovedserien ("The Main League"), 1963–1989 1. divisjon ("1st Division"), and from 1990 Tippeligaen (sponsored name) or Eliteserien ("The Elite League", a generic name).

From 1937 until 1948, the championship was decided through a playoff between the winners of the various regional leagues in Southern Norway. From 1948 until 1961, the 16-team league was divided into two groups, and decided by a final match between the group winners. Since then it has been a round-robin decided through a league table. Bronze finals were played in 1960 and 1961; before that no bronze medals were awarded. Note that clubs from Northern Norway (including Bodø/Glimt and Tromsø IL), allegedly due to travel distance, were not allowed in the top division until 1972, but a separate Northern Norwegian Cup was played. Furthermore, northern Norwegian teams had stricter promotion rules until 1979. The league did not play during the period 1940–1946 because of the World War II.

See below for a list of medalists by club.

### Medalists by year[edit]

The following medals have been awarded:

| Season  | Gold  | Silver  | Bronze

|
|
|

Norgesserien (1937–1948)
1937–38 | Fredrikstad (1) | Lyn | –
1938–39 | Fredrikstad (2) | Skeid | –
1939–40 | Abandoned because of World War II.
1940–47  | No League Championship.
1947–48 | Freidig (1) | Sparta | –
Hovedserien (1948–1962)
1948–49 | Fredrikstad (3) | Vålerenga | –
1949–50 | Fram Larvik (1) | Fredrikstad | –
1950–51 | Fredrikstad (4) | Odd | –
1951–52 | Fredrikstad (5) | Brann | –
1952–53 | Larvik Turn (1) | Skeid | –
1953–54 | Fredrikstad (6) | Skeid | –
1954–55 | Larvik Turn (2) | Fredrikstad | –
1955–56 | Larvik Turn (3) | Fredrikstad | –
1956–57 | Fredrikstad (7) | Odd | –
1957–58 | Viking (1) | Skeid | –
1958–59 | Lillestrøm (1) | Fredrikstad | –
1959–60 | Fredrikstad (8) | Lillestrøm | Eik-Tønsberg
1960–61 | Fredrikstad (9) | Eik-Tønsberg | Vålerenga
1961–62 | Brann (1) | Steinkjer | Fredrikstad
1\. divisjon (1963–1989)
1963 | Brann (2) | Lyn | Skeid
1964 | Lyn (1) | Fredrikstad | Sarpsborg
1965 | Vålerenga (1) | Lyn | Sarpsborg
1966 | Skeid (1) | Fredrikstad | Lyn
1967 | Rosenborg (1) | Skeid | Lyn
1968 | Lyn (2) | Rosenborg | Viking
1969 | Rosenborg (2) | Fredrikstad | Strømsgodset
1970 | Strømsgodset (1) | Rosenborg | HamKam
| Season  | Gold  | Silver  | Bronze

|
|
|

1971 | Rosenborg (3) | Lyn | Viking
1972 | Viking (2) | Fredrikstad | Strømsgodset
19731 | Viking (3) | Rosenborg | Start
1974 | Viking (4) | Molde | Vålerenga
1975 | Viking (5) | Brann | Start
1976 | Lillestrøm (2) | Mjøndalen | Brann
1977 | Lillestrøm (3) | Bodø/Glimt | Molde
1978 | Start (1) | Lillestrøm | Viking
1979 | Viking (6) | Moss | Start
1980 | Start (2) | Bryne | Lillestrøm
1981 | Vålerenga (2) | Viking | Rosenborg
1982 | Viking (7) | Bryne | Lillestrøm
1983 | Vålerenga (3) | Lillestrøm | Start
1984 | Vålerenga (4) | Viking | Start
1985 | Rosenborg (4) | Lillestrøm | Vålerenga
1986 | Lillestrøm (4) | Mjøndalen | Kongsvinger
1987 | Moss (1) | Molde | Kongsvinger
1988 | Rosenborg (5) | Lillestrøm | Molde
1989 | Lillestrøm (5) | Rosenborg | Tromsø
Tippeligaen (1990–2016)
1990 | Rosenborg (6) | Tromsø | Molde
1991 | Viking (8) | Rosenborg | Start
1992 | Rosenborg (7) | Kongsvinger | Start
1993 | Rosenborg (8) | Bodø/Glimt | Lillestrøm
1994 | Rosenborg (9) | Lillestrøm | Viking
1995 | Rosenborg (10) | Molde | Bodø/Glimt
1996 | Rosenborg (11) | Lillestrøm | Viking
1997 | Rosenborg (12) | Brann | Strømsgodset
1998 | Rosenborg (13) | Molde | Stabæk
1999 | Rosenborg (14) | Molde | Brann
| Season  | Gold  | Silver  | Bronze

|
|
|

2000 | Rosenborg (15) | Brann | Viking
2001 | Rosenborg (16) | Lillestrøm | Viking
2002 | Rosenborg (17) | Molde | Lyn
2003 | Rosenborg (18) | Bodø/Glimt | Stabæk
2004 | Rosenborg (19) | Vålerenga | Brann
2005 | Vålerenga (5) | Start | Lyn
2006 | Rosenborg (20) | Brann | Vålerenga
2007 | Brann (3) | Stabæk | Viking
2008 | Stabæk (1) | Fredrikstad | Tromsø
2009 | Rosenborg (21) | Molde | Stabæk
2010 | Rosenborg (22) | Vålerenga | Tromsø
2011 | Molde (1) | Tromsø | Rosenborg
2012 | Molde (2) | Strømsgodset | Rosenborg
2013 | Strømsgodset (2) | Rosenborg | Haugesund
2014 | Molde (3) | Rosenborg | Odd
2015 | Rosenborg (23) | Strømsgodset | Stabæk
2016 | Rosenborg (24) | Brann | Odd
Eliteserien (2017–)
2017 | Rosenborg (25) | Molde | Sarpsborg 08
2018 | Rosenborg (26) | Molde | Brann
2019 | Molde (4) | Bodø/Glimt | Rosenborg
2020 | Bodø/Glimt (1) | Molde | Vålerenga
2021 | Bodø/Glimt (2) | Molde | Viking

Note: 1 First season when North Norwegian teams were allowed to play in the top division.

### Medalists by club[edit]

Eliteserien title holders

The following clubs have won one or more Eliteserien medals since 1937–38:

Club  | Founded  | Gold  | Silver  | Bronze  | Last merits

|
|
|
|
|

Rosenborg | 1917–05–19 | 26 | 7 | 4 | Gold 2018, Bronze 2019
Fredrikstad | 1903–04–07 | 9 | 9 | 1 | Gold 1960–61, Silver 2008
Viking | 1899–08–10 | 8 | 2 | 9 | Gold 1991, Bronze 2021
Lillestrøm | 1917–04–02 | 5 | 8 | 3 | Gold 1989, Silver 2001
Vålerenga | 1913–07–29 | 5 | 3 | 5 | Gold 2005, Silver 2010, Bronze 2020
Molde | 1911–06–19 | 4 | 11 | 3 | Gold 2019, Silver 2021
Brann | 1908–09–26 | 3 | 6 | 4 | Gold 2007, Silver 2016, Bronze 2018
Larvik Turn | 1906–01–15 | 3 | – | – | Gold 1955–56
Lyn | 1896–03–03 | 2 | 4 | 4 | Gold 1968, Silver 1971, Bronze 2005
Bodø/Glimt | 1916–09–19 | 2 | 4 | 1 | Gold 2021
Strømsgodset | 1907–02–10 | 2 | 2 | 3 | Gold 2013, Silver 2015
Start | 1905–09–19 | 2 | 1 | 7 | Gold 1980, Silver 2005
Skeid | 1915–01–01 | 1 | 5 | 1 | Gold 1966, Silver 1967
Stabæk | 1912–03–16 | 1 | 1 | 4 | Gold 2008, Bronze 2015
Moss | 1906–08–28 | 1 | 1 | – | Gold 1987
Fram Larvik | 1894–01–15 | 1 | – | – | Gold 1949–50
Freidig | 1903–10–13 | 1 | – | – | Gold 1947–48
Tromsø | 1920–09–15 | – | 2 | 3 | Silver 2011
Odd | 1894–03–31 | – | 2 | 2 | Silver 1956–57, Bronze 2016
Bryne | 1926–04–10 | – | 2 | – | Silver 1982
Mjøndalen | 1910–08–22 | – | 2 | – | Silver 1986
Kongsvinger | 1892–01–31 | – | 1 | 2 | Silver 1992
Eik-Tønsberg | 1928–03–14 | – | 1 | 1 | Silver 1960–61
Sparta | 1928–11–23 | – | 1 | – | Silver 1947–48
Steinkjer | 1910–05–29 | – | 1 | – | Silver 1961–62
Sarpsborg | 1903–05–08 | – | – | 2 | Bronze 1965
HamKam | 1918–08–10 | – | – | 1 | Bronze 1970
Haugesund | 1993–10–28 | – | – | 1 | Bronze 2013
Sarpsborg 08 | 2008–01–15 | – | – | 1 | Bronze 2017
TOTAL  | 74 | 74 | 60 |

### Honoured clubs[edit]

Clubs in European football are commonly honoured for winning multiple league titles and a representative golden star is sometimes placed above the club badge to indicate the club having won 10 league titles. In Norway the star symbolizes 10 Eliteserien titles. Rosenborg was the first team to introduce a star when they won their 10th title in 1995. No club has introduced a star since 2006, when Rosenborg won their 20th league title to put a second star on their badge. The clubs closest to their first are Fredrikstad with 9 Eliteserien titles and Viking with 8 Eliteserien titles. The following table is ordered after number of stars followed by number of Eliteserien titles.

Statistics updated as of the end of the 2019 season
Club  | Eliteserien titles  | Stars  | Introduced 1st star  | Introduced 2nd star

|
|
|
|

Rosenborg | 26  |  | 1995  | 2006

## Sponsorship[edit]

From 1990 to 2016, Eliteserien had title sponsorship rights sold to Norsk Tipping.

Period  | Sponsor  | Name

|
|

1937–1948 | No sponsor | Norgesserien
1948–1962 | Hovedserien
1963–1989 | 1\. divisjon
1990–2016 | Norsk Tipping | Tippeligaen
2017– | No sponsor | Eliteserien

Eliteserien has a number of official partners and suppliers. The official ball supplier for the league is Select who on 27 October 2017 signed the first ever contract to deliver official balls for Eliteserien.[10] The three-year[11] deal began from the start of the 2018 season.

## Broadcasters[edit]

All matches are aired live on Discovery's Eurosport, with four matches per week aired live on TVNorge (Norway only) from 2017 until 2023.[12] From 2020, the coverage is also available for all European countries (excluding the Balkans).[13]

In Balkans, the league is currently aired on Arena Sport.

In the United Kingdom and Ireland matches are aired live on OneFootball.

All matches are broadcast internationally on Eleven Sports

## Stadiums[edit]

Main article: List of Eliteserien venues

A 2007 match at Brann Stadion between Brann and Strømsgodset.

Since the competition format was changed to a one-group top flight in 1963, Eliteserien football has been played in 56 stadiums. As of the start of the 2020 season, Ullevaal Stadion has hosted the most matches in the top flight with 697. Since the opening of Vålerenga's new stadium Intility Arena in August 2017, no clubs in Eliteserien use Ullevaal Stadion as their home ground. Two stadiums that have seen Eliteserien football (1963–) have now been demolished.

The stadiums for the 2022 season show a large disparity in capacity: Lerkendal Stadion, the home of Rosenborg, has a capacity of 21,421 with Levermyr Stadion, the home of Jerv, having a capacity of 3,300. The combined total capacity of Eliteserien in the 2020 season is 170,677 with an average capacity of 10,667.

The Eliteserien's record average attendance was set during the 2007 season. This record attendance recorded an average attendance of 10,521 with a total attendance of just under 2 million. The 2 million mark was crossed after the 2009 league extension to sixteen teams. 2,151,219 was the total attendance in 2009, which is the record total attendance.

## Managers[edit]

Managers or head coaches in the Eliteserien are involved in the day-to-day running of the team, including the training, team selection, and player acquisition. Their influence varies from club-to-club and is related to the structure of the club and the relationship of the manager with fans. Managers are required to have a UEFA Pro Licence which is the final coaching qualification available, and follows the completion of the UEFA 'B' and 'A' Licences.[14] The UEFA Pro Licence is required by every person who wishes to manage a club in the Eliteserien on a permanent basis.

In the 2019 season, only one manager or head coach was sacked. On 2 December 2019, Jörgen Lennartsson of Lillestrøm was sacked after the final round of the season after the team finished in 14th place.[15] He was replaced by Tom Nordlie ahead of the relegation play-offs.[16] Bjørn Petter Ingebretsen of Strømsgodset resigned on 15 May due to health problems[17] and Henning Berg of Stabæk was signed by Cypriot club AC Omonia on 6 June.[18] In the 2020 season, only one manager or head coach has left his position; Eirik Horneland left Rosenborg on a mutual consent on 26 June 2020.[19]

Former Rosenborg and Moss head coach Nils Arne Eggen was the most successful head coach or manager in the history of Eliteserien.

Managers winning multiple times  Manager  | Club(s)  | Wins  | Winning years

|
|
|

Nils Arne Eggen | Rosenborg, Moss  | 15  | 1971, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1992,
1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997,
1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2010
Kåre Ingebrigtsen | Rosenborg  | 4  | 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
Oddvar Hansen | Brann  | 2  | 1961–62, 1963
Karsten Johannessen | Start  | 1978, 1980
Kjell Schou-Andreassen | Viking  | 1972, 1982
Gunder Bengtsson | Vålerenga  | 1983, 1984
Erik Hamrén | Rosenborg  | 2009, 2010
Ole Gunnar Solskjær | Molde  | 2011, 2012
Kjetil Knutsen | Bodø/Glimt  | 2020, 2021

Vålerenga's head coach Dag-Eilev Fagermo coached Odd for twelve consecutive seasons before he went on to his current position at Vålerenga.

Current managers  Nat.  | Name  | Club  | Appointed  | Time as manager

|
|
|
|

| Christian Michelsen | Kristiansund | 6 February 2014[20] | 8 years, 208 days
| Arne Sandstø | Jerv | 15 January 2016[21] | 6 years, 230 days
| Kjetil Knutsen | Bodø/Glimt | 17 November 2017[22] | 4 years, 289 days
| Jostein Grindhaug | Haugesund | 24 January 2019[23] | 3 years, 221 days
| Erling Moe | Molde | 29 April 2019[24] | 3 years, 126 days
| Geir Bakke | Lillestrøm | 1 January 2020[25] | 2 years, 244 days
| Dag-Eilev Fagermo | Vålerenga | 31 January 2020[26] | 2 years, 214 days
| Gaute Helstrup | Tromsø | 19 May 2020[27] | 2 years, 106 days
| Lars Arne Nilsen | Aalesund | 25 August 2020[28] | 2 years, 8 days

| Hans Erik Ødegaard
Andreas Tegström | Sandefjord | 1 January 2021[29] | 1 year, 244 days

| Morten Jensen
Bjarte Lunde Aarsheim | Viking | 1 January 2021[30] | 1 year, 244 days

| Bjørn Petter Ingebretsen
Håkon Wibe-Lund | Strømsgodset | 12 April 2021[31] | 1 year, 143 days
| Kjetil Rekdal | Rosenborg | 1 January 2022[32] | 244 days
| Stefan Billborn | Sarpsborg 08 | 7 January 2022[33] | 238 days
| Jakob Michelsen | HamKam | 9 January 2022[34] | 236 days
| Pål Arne Johansen | Odd | 24 January 2022[35] | 221 days

## Statistics[edit]

### League ranking and European qualification[edit]

See also: UEFA coefficient

In the UEFA coefficient, UEFA's rankings of European leagues based on their performances in European competitions over a five-year period, the league ranked 27th at the end of the 2012–2013 European season, its lowest ranking since 1993. The league's highest ranking, tenth place, came in 1998. The winners of the previous calendar year's Eliteserien enter the second qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League, while the cup winners enter the second qualifying round of the Europa Conference League.[36] The second and third placed teams also enters the second qualifying round of the Europa Conference League. In the 2013–2014 season, Norway also had an additional place in the first qualifying round of the Europa League due to its fair play ranking.

The following data indicates Norwegian coefficient rankings between European football leagues.[37]

Country ranking

UEFA association coefficients as of the end of the 2021–22 season, for league participation in the 2023–24 European football season (Previous year rank in italics):[38]

* 15\.  (20)  Super League Greece (28.200)
* 16\.  (17)  Czech First League (27.800)
* 17. (22)  Eliteserien (27.250)
* 18\.  (14)  Danish Superliga (27.175)
* 19\.  (18)  Croatian First Football League (27.150)

Club ranking

UEFA 5-year Club Ranking as of 29 April 2022:[39]

* 88  Molde (19.000)
* 94  Bodø/Glimt (17.000)
* 106  Rosenborg (15.000)
* 235\. (new) Vålerenga (5.450)
* 236\.  Viking (5.450)

|

### Attendance[edit]

From 1963 to 1971, the league consisted of ten teams (90 matches a year). Between 1972 and 1994, the league consisted of 12 teams (132 matches a year). The number was raised to 14 teams (182 matches a year) in 1995 and to 16 teams (240 matches a year) in 2009. Attendances reached peaks in 1963, 1968, 1977 and 2007, and were at their lowest in 1986.[40]

The record for highest average home attendance for a club was set by Rosenborg in 2007 (19,903 over 13 home matches). 12 October 1985 saw the record for highest attendance at a match, with 28,569 in the game between Rosenborg and Lillestrøm at Lerkendal Stadion. The highest ever average attendance for Eliteserien as a whole was set in 2007 with 10,521.

Year  | Total  | Average

|
|

1963  | 708 368  | 7 871
1964  | 556 699  | 6 186
1965  | 453 044  | 5 034
1966  | 413 250  | 4 592
1967  | 562 472  | 6 250
1968  | 700 013  | 7 778
1969  | 683 120  | 7 590
1970  | 507 243  | 5 636
1971  | 592 031  | 6 578
1972  | 743 966  | 5 636
1973  | 737 863  | 5 590
1974  | 759 004  | 5 750
Year  | Total  | Average

|
|

1975  | 893 874  | 6 772
1976  | 856 428  | 6 488
1977  | 968 683  | 7 339
1978  | 730 419  | 5 533
1979  | 823 387  | 6 238
1980  | 671 176  | 5 085
1981  | 776 191  | 5 880
1982  | 603 036  | 4 569
1983  | 729 373  | 5 526
1984  | 568 765  | 4 309
1985  | 581 177  | 4 403
1986  | 426 349  | 3 229
Year  | Total  | Average

|
|

1987  | 469 030  | 3 553
1988  | 576 257  | 4 365
1989  | 624 679  | 4 732
1990  | 647 489  | 4 905
1991  | 706 508  | 5 352
1992  | 671 903  | 5 083
1993  | 731 565  | 5 542
1994  | 688 589  | 5 216
1995  | 841 717  | 4 624
1996  | 841 368  | 4 622
1997  | 772 197  | 4 242
1998  | 959 317  | 5 270
Year  | Total  | Average

|
|

1999  | 983 630  | 5 404
2000  | 1 024 722  | 5 639
2001  | 1 013 264  | 5 567
2002  | 1 092 359  | 6 002
2003  | 1 198 798  | 6 587
2004  | 1 458 258  | 8 012
2005  | 1 727 101  | 9 489
2006  | 1 655 572  | 9 097
2007  | 1 914 907  | 10 521
2008  | 1 785 815  | 9 812
2009  | 2 151 219  | 8 956
2010  | 1 947 236  | 8 117
Year  | Total  | Average

|
|

2011  | 1 919 325  | 7 994
2012  | 1 680 822  | 7 003
2013  | 1 637 716  | 6 824[41]
2014  | 1 670 706  | 6 961[42]
2015  | 1 610 684  | 6 711
2016  | 1 669 435  | 6 985
2017  | 1 607 772  | 6 699
2018  | 1 407 693  | 5 865
2019  | 1 379 861  | 5 773
2020  | 70 837  | 297*
2021  | 755 013  | 3 240*

* = Restricted due to Covid-19.

## Players[edit]

Main article: List of Eliteserien players

### Individual records[edit]

See also: Eliteserien records and statistics and List of Eliteserien top scorers

#### Most appearances[edit]

Daniel Berg Hestad is the player with most appearances.

As of 21 August 2022[43]
Number  | Player  | Years  | Matches

|
|
|

1  |  Daniel Berg Hestad | 1993–2016  | 473
2  |  Morten Berre | 1996–2015  | 452
3  |  Frode Kippe | 1997–2019  | 441
4  |  Roar Strand | 1989–2010  | 439
5  |  Øyvind Storflor | 1999–2019  | 421
6  |  Espen Hoff | 1999–2016  | 406
7  |  Steffen Hagen | 2004–present | 404
8  |  Erling Knudtzon | 2007–present | 388
9  |  Christer Basma | 1993–2008  | 350
10  |  Håkon Opdal | 2002–2021  | 347

Sigurd Rushfeldt is the league's top scorer.

#### Most goals scored[edit]

As of Start of the 2022 season[44]
Number  | Player  | Years  | Goals  | Matches  | Average

|
|
|
|
|

1  |  Sigurd Rushfeldt | 1992–2011  | 172 | 299  | 0.58
2  |  Harald Martin Brattbakk | 1990–2005  | 166 | 255  | 0.65
3  |  Petter Belsvik | 1989–2003  | 159 | 292  | 0.54
4  |  Odd Iversen | 1967–1982  | 158 | 225  | 0.70
5  |  Per Kristoffersen | 1956–1968  | 145 | 194  | 0.75
6  |  Frode Johnsen | 1999–2015  | 132 | 301  | 0.45
7  |  Thorstein Helstad | 1995–2013  | 116 | 234  | 0.50
Bengt Sæternes | 1996–2011  | 116 | 280  | 0.41
9  |  Jostein Flo | 1987–2001  | 114 | 213  | 0.54
10  |  Arild Sundgot | 1995–2011  | 111 | 325  | 0.34

### Foreign players[edit]

Main article: List of foreign Eliteserien players

## Awards[edit]

### Trophy[edit]

The winners of Eliteserien win two trophies. One small trophy in silver which they keep and one bigger trophy which are held only by reigning champions.[45] The big trophy was introduced in 2012 and all winners from 2012 and onwards will get its club's name engraved on it. The ribbons that drape the handles are presented in the team colours of the league champions that year.

## See also[edit]

* Association football portal
* Norway portal

* Toppserien (Women's top division)
* Norwegian football top scorers
* List of football clubs in Norway
* List of Eliteserien Champions from 1938 to present time

## Notes and references[edit]

1. ^ Fotballforbund, Norges. "Tippeligaen endrer navn til Eliteserien i 2017". Retrieved 1 January 2017.
2. ^ a b "Discovery sikrer seg Tippeligaen i seks år – Betaler 2,4 milliarder". vg.no. Verdens Gang. 10 November 2015. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
3. ^ "Eliteserien" (in Norwegian). Eliteserien. 27 November 2016. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
4. ^ Johansen, Magne (26 October 1989). "Tippemillionene". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). p. 35.
5. ^ Dehlin, Håkon (7 December 1990). "Alle rykker opp". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). p. 26.
6. ^ "Tippeligaen endrer navn til Eliteserien i 2017" [Tippeligaen changes name to Eliteserien in 2017]. NFF. 28 August 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
7. ^ Sæther, Esten O. (7 August 2009). "Alle heiet underveis". Dagbladet (in Norwegian). Retrieved 8 August 2009.
8. ^ In Norwegian "fotballens nasjonaldag"
9. ^ Per Svein (16 May 2011). "Nok en 16. Mai kamp i Bergen" (in Norwegian). IK Start. Archived from the original on 3 July 2011. Retrieved 13 January 2012.
10. ^ "Historisk avtale: Nå skal alle spille med denne ballen". eurosport.no (in Norwegian). Eurosport. 27 October 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
11. ^ "FELLES LIGABALL I ELITESERIEN OG TOPPSERIEN". eliteserien.no (in Norwegian). 27 October 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
12. ^ "Football news - Eurosport to screen Norway's Eliteserien across Europe". Eurosport. 5 June 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
13. ^ "Football news - Eurosport to screen Norway's Eliteserien across Europe". Eurosport. 5 June 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
14. ^ White, Duncan (5 December 2005). "The Knowledge". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 13 October 2010.[dead link]
15. ^ "Lennartsson fikk sparken i LSK – Nordlie nærmer seg LSK". www.vg.no (in Norwegian). Verdens Gang. 2 December 2019. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
16. ^ "Tom Nordlie ny LSK-trener: – Utrolig god motivator". www.vg.no (in Norwegian). Verdens Gang. 3 December 2019. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
17. ^ "Strømsgodset-treneren trekker seg: – Helsen Kommer først" (in Norwegian). Verdens Gang. 15 May 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
18. ^ "Henning Berg forlater Stabæk: -Beklagelig at det skjer nå" (in Norwegian). Verdens Gang. 6 June 2019. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
19. ^ "Horneland er ferdig som Rosenborg-trener" (in Norwegian). Verdens Gang. 26 June 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
20. ^ "Christian Michelsen blir hovedtrener i KBK". Tidens Krav (in Norwegian). 6 February 2014. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
21. ^ "Arne Sandstø presentert som ny trener: - Giret på Jerv-jobben". Agderposten (in Norwegian). 15 January 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
22. ^ "Kjetil Knutsen blir hovedtrener i Glimt". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). 17 November 2017. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
23. ^ "Grindhaug tilbake som FKH-trener". NRK (in Norwegian). 24 January 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
24. ^ "Presenterte Moe som permanent hovedtrener: – Veldig glad". Eurosport (in Norwegian). 29 April 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
25. ^ "Geir Bakke ansatt som ny LSK-trener". Lillestrøm SK (in Norwegian). 31 December 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
26. ^ "Fagermo ny VIF-trener: - Jeg var sikkert femtevalget". VG (in Norwegian). 31 January 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
27. ^ "Gaute Helstrup presentert som ny Tromsø-trener: – Kan bli «jævlig bra»". VG (in Norwegian). 20 May 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
28. ^ "Bekreftet: Lars Arne Nilsen blir Aalesund-trener". VG (in Norwegian). 25 August 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
29. ^ "Hans Erik Ødegaard ny Sandefjord-trener". TV 2 (in Norwegian). 30 December 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
30. ^ "Jensen og «Batty» overtar som likestilte hovedtrenere". Stavanger Aftenblad (in Norwegian). 26 November 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
31. ^ "Nytt fungerende trenerteam i Strømsgodset". Strømsgodset Toppfotball (in Norwegian). 12 April 2021. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
32. ^ "Kjetil Rekdal klar for Rosenborg". TV 2 (in Norwegian). 20 December 2021. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
33. ^ "Stefan Billborn er Sarpsborg 08s nye trener". Sarpsborg Arbeiderblad (in Norwegian). 7 January 2022. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
34. ^ "HamKam bekrefter: Dette er klubbens nye hovedtrener". Eurosport (in Norwegian). 9 January 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
35. ^ "Pål Arne Johansen blir ny Odd-trener". Nettavisen (in Norwegian). 24 January 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
36. ^ Access list for European Cup Football 2013/2014, xs4ll.nl, accessed 13 July 2013
37. ^ "UEFA European Cup Coefficients Database". Bert Kassies. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
38. ^ "UEFA Country Ranking 2020 – kassiesA – Xs4all". Kassiesa.home.xs411.nl. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
39. ^ "Club coefficients". uefa.com. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
40. ^ "Norwegian attendances". Retrieved 1 January 2017.
41. ^ Torjusen, Thomas (12 November 2013). "Publikumsøkning for alle medaljelagene" (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
42. ^ "altomfotball.no: Eliteserien, 2014 – Statistikk". Retrieved 1 January 2017.
43. ^ "Norway - Most matches played in Norwegian top division". www.rsssf.com.
44. ^ "Norway - All-Time Topscorers". www.rsssf.com.
45. ^ "Denne blir det umulig å vinne til odel og eie". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). Retrieved 23 May 2018.

## External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Eliteserien.

* Football Association of Norway
* All-time Eliteserien table from 1963 to 2008
* Tippeligaen Stats, Fixtures, Results and Team Profiles
* Norway – List of Champions, RSSSF.com

* v
* t
* e

Eliteserien

Seasons|

| League of Norway|

* 1937–38
* 1938–39
* 1939–40
* 1940–41
* 1941–42
* 1942–43
* 1943–44
* 1944–45
* 1945–46
* 1946–47
* 1947–48

|

Main League|

* 1948–49
* 1949–50
* 1950–51
* 1951–52
* 1952–53
* 1953–54
* 1954–55
* 1955–56
* 1956–57
* 1957–58
* 1958–59
* 1959–60
* 1960–61
* 1961–62

First Division|

* 1963
* 1964
* 1965
* 1966
* 1967
* 1968
* 1969
* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989

Tippeligaen|

* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996
* 1997
* 1998
* 1999
* 2000
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016

Eliteserien|

* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022

Clubs|

| 2022|

* Aalesund
* Bodø/Glimt
* HamKam
* Haugesund
* Jerv
* Kristiansund
* Lillestrøm
* Molde
* Odd
* Rosenborg
* Sandefjord
* Sarpsborg 08
* Strømsgodset
* Tromsø
* Vålerenga
* Viking

|

Former|

* Brann
* Bryne
* Djerv 1919
* Eik-Tønsberg
* Fredrikstad
* Frigg
* Fyllingen (defunct)
* Gjøvik-Lyn
* Haugar
* Hødd
* Hønefoss
* Kongsvinger
* Lisleby
* Lyn
* Mjølner
* Mjøndalen
* Moss
* Os
* Pors
* Ranheim
* Raufoss
* Sandefjord BK
* Sandnes Ulf
* Sarpsborg
* Skeid
* Sogndal
* Stabæk
* Start
* Steinkjer
* Strindheim
* Strømmen
* Vard Haugesund

Competition|

* Teams
* winners
* Players
* foreign
* Stadia
* Referees

Statistics and awards|

* Records
* All-time table
* Hat-tricks
* Highest scores
* Top scorers
* Players with 50+ goals
* Kniksen Award

Associated competitions|

* Mesterfinalen
* Norwegian Cup
* Play-offs
* UEFA Champions League
* UEFA Europa League

Other|

* In European football
* Norsk Toppfotball

Category

Links to related articles

* v
* t
* e

Football in Norway

League competitions|

| Men|

* Eliteserien
* First Division
* Second Division
* Third Division
* Fourth Division
* Fifth Division
* Sixth Division
* Seventh Division
* Eighth Division
* Ninth Division

|

Women|

* Toppserien
* First Division
* Second Division
* Third Division

Cup competitions|

| Men|

* Norwegian Football Cup
* Mesterfinalen

|

Women|

* Norwegian Women's Cup

Defunct cup competitions|

* Northern Norwegian Cup (1929-1969)

Playoff competitions|

| Men|

* Eliteserien play-offs
* To the First Division (1996-2000)
* To the Second Division (2001-2010)

|

Women|

* To the First Division

Youth competitions|

| Boys|

* U19
* U16

|

National teams|

* Men
* B
* U21
* U20
* U19
* U17
* Women
* U19
* U17

Others|

* Reserve teams

Lists and categories|

* Clubs
* Competitions
* Players
* foreign
* Stadiums

* Norwegian Football Federation
* District Football Associations
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* v
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* e

Top-level men's football leagues of Europe (UEFA)

Current|

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Defunct|

* Austria
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* Soviet Union
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* Turkish Championship
* National Division
* Yugoslavia

Liechtenstein is the only UEFA member association without a national league.
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