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.

Quick Facts Founded, Country ...
Eliteserien
Founded1937; 87 years ago (1937)
1937–1948 (as Norgesserien)
1948–1962 (as Hovedserien)
1963–1989 (as 1. divisjon)
1990–2016 (as Tippeligaen)
2017–present (as Eliteserien)
CountryNorway
ConfederationUEFA
Number of teams16
Level on pyramid1
Relegation toNorwegian First Division
Domestic cup(s)Norwegian Cup
International cup(s)UEFA Champions League
UEFA Europa League
UEFA Conference League
Current championsBodø/Glimt (3rd title)
(2023)
Most championshipsRosenborg (26 titles)
Most appearancesDaniel Berg Hestad (473)
Top goalscorerSigurd Rushfeldt (172 goals)
TV partnersTV 2
Eleven Sports
WebsiteEliteserien
NFF
Norsk Toppfotball
Current: 2024 Eliteserien
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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 (lit.'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] TV 2 have been the owners of the broadcasting rights since 2023.[2] The league generates NOK 400 million per year in domestic television rights.[3] The Norwegian top flight has been professional since 1992.[4] In 1995, Tippeligaen was expanded to 14 teams, and in 2009 it was further expanded to 16 teams.

Seventeen clubs have won the title since the inception of the league in 1937: Rosenborg (26), Fredrikstad (9), Viking (8), Lillestrøm (5), Molde (5), Vålerenga (5), Bodø/Glimt (3), Brann (3), Larvik Turn (3), 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.

History

Early years (1937–1948)

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)

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.[5] The Maratonserien was won by Brann.

1. divisjon (1963–1989)

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 title wins in 1981, 1983 and 1984.

Tippeligaen (1990–2016)

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

In 1990, the league was renamed Tippeligaen, when Norsk Tipping became the main sponsor of the league.[6] 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.[7] 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.

Recent years (2017–present)

In 2016, it was decided to change from the sponsorship name Tippeligaen to the non-sponsorship name Eliteserien, effecting from the 2017 season.[8] 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. Bodø/Glimt became the first team from Northern Norway to win the league by winning the title in the 2020 season with 81 points, an all-time record.

Competition format

Competition

As of the 2024 season there are 16 clubs in the Eliteserien, eight of which are located in Eastern Norway, five are from Western Norway, two north of the Arctic Circle and one is from 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"[9] and since it precedes a national holiday, games usually see higher attendance than other rounds.[10]

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

More information From, To ...
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
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Eliteserien teams in international competition

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

Current members

The following sixteen clubs are competing in the Eliteserien during the 2024 season.

More information Club, Position in 2023 ...
Club Position
in 2023
First season in
top division
Seasons
in
top division
First season of
current spell in
top division
Top
division
titles
Last top
division
title
Bodø/Glimt1st1977[a]29201842023
Brann2nd1937–3866202332007
Fredrikstad1st (1D)1937–3843202491960–61
HamKam11th19702520220n/a
Haugesund12th1997[b]1820100n/a
KFUM2nd (1D)2024120240n/a
Kristiansund4th (1D)2017720240n/a
Lillestrøm6th1937–3860202151989
Molde5th1939–4048200852022
Odd10th1937–384320090n/a
Rosenborg9th1937–38611979262018
Sandefjord13th20061220200n/a
Sarpsborg 088th20111320130n/a
Strømsgodset7th1938–3937200722013
Tromsø3rd1986[a]3620210n/a
Viking4th1937–3874201981991
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Notes
  1. 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

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

The following medals have been awarded:

More information Season, Gold ...
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
2022 Molde (5) Bodø/Glimt Rosenborg
2023 Bodø/Glimt (3) Brann Tromsø
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Note: 1 First season when North Norwegian teams were allowed to play in the top division.

Medalists by club

Eliteserien title holders
FK Bodø/GlimtMolde FKFK Bodø/GlimtMolde FKRosenborg BKMolde FKStrømsgodset ToppfotballMolde FKRosenborg BKStabæk FotballSK BrannRosenborg BKVålerenga IF FotballRosenborg BKViking FKRosenborg BKLillestrøm SKRosenborg BKMoss FKLillestrøm SKRosenborg BKVålerenga IF FotballViking FKVålerenga IF FotballIK StartViking FKIK StartLillestrøm SKViking FKRosenborg BKStrømsgodset ToppfotballRosenborg BKLyn FotballRosenborg BKSkeid FotballVålerenga IF FotballLyn FotballSK Brann

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

More information Club, Founded ...
Club Founded Gold Silver Bronze Last merits
Rosenborg 1917–05–192675Gold 2018, Bronze 2022
Fredrikstad 1903–04–07991Gold 1960–61, Silver 2008
Viking 1899–08–10829Gold 1991, Bronze 2021
Molde 1911–06–195113Gold 2022
Lillestrøm 1917–04–02583Gold 1989, Silver 2001
Vålerenga 1913–07–29535Gold 2005, Silver 2010, Bronze 2020
Brann 1908–09–26374Gold 2007, Silver 2023
Bodø/Glimt 1916–09–19351Gold 2023
Larvik Turn 1906–01–153Gold 1955–56
Lyn 1896–03–03244Gold 1968, Silver 1971, Bronze 2005
Strømsgodset 1907–02–10223Gold 2013, Silver 2015
Start 1905–09–19217Gold 1980, Silver 2005
Skeid 1915–01–01151Gold 1966, Silver 1967
Stabæk 1912–03–16114Gold 2008, Bronze 2015
Moss 1906–08–2811Gold 1987
Fram Larvik 1894–01–151Gold 1949–50
Freidig 1903–10–131Gold 1947–48
Tromsø 1920–09–1524Silver 2011, Bronze 2023
Odd 1894–03–3122Silver 1956–57, Bronze 2016
Bryne 1926–04–102Silver 1982
Mjøndalen 1910–08–222Silver 1986
Kongsvinger 1892–01–3112Silver 1992
Eik-Tønsberg 1928–03–1411Silver 1960–61
Sparta 1928–11–231Silver 1947–48
Steinkjer 1910–05–291Silver 1961–62
Sarpsborg 1903–05–082Bronze 1965
HamKam 1918–08–101Bronze 1970
Haugesund 1993–10–281Bronze 2013
Sarpsborg 08 2008–01–151Bronze 2017
TOTAL 747460
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Honoured clubs

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 2022 season
More information Club, Stars ...
Club Eliteserien titles Stars Introduced 1st star Introduced 2nd star
Rosenborg 26 1995 2006
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Sponsorship

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

More information Period, Sponsor ...
Period Sponsor Name
1937–1948No sponsorNorgesserien
1948–1962Hovedserien
1963–19891. divisjon
1990–2016Norsk TippingTippeligaen
2017–No sponsorEliteserien
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Eliteserien has a number of official partners and suppliers. The first official ball supplier for the league is Select who on 27 October 2017 signed a three-year contract to deliver official balls.[11][12] The deal began from the start of the 2018 season and was renewed ahead of the 2022 season.[13]

Broadcasters

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 2022. The deal was worth NOK 2.4 billion.[3] In December 2020, TV 2 acquired the broadcasting rights from 2023 to 2028 in a deal worth NOK 4.5 billion.[2]

All matches are broadcast internationally on Eleven Sports.

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

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

Stadiums

Thumb
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 2023 season show a large disparity in capacity: Lerkendal Stadion, the home of Rosenborg, has a capacity of 21,421 with Nadderud Stadion, the home of Stabek, having a capacity of 4,938. The combined total capacity of Eliteserien in the 2023 season is 175,938 with an average capacity of 10,996.

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

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]

Thumb
Former Rosenborg and Moss head coach Nils Arne Eggen was the most successful head coach or manager in the history of Eliteserien.
More information Manager, Club(s) ...
Managers winning multiple times
Manager Club(s) Wins Winning years
Norway Nils Arne Eggen Rosenborg, Moss 15 1971, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1992,
1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997,
1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2010
Norway Kåre Ingebrigtsen Rosenborg 4 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
Norway Kjetil Knutsen Bodø/Glimt 3 2020, 2021, 2023
Norway Oddvar Hansen Brann 2 1961–62, 1963
Norway Karsten Johannessen Start 1978, 1980
Norway Kjell Schou-Andreassen Viking 1972, 1982
Sweden Gunder Bengtsson Vålerenga 1983, 1984
Sweden Erik Hamrén Rosenborg 2009, 2010
Norway Ole Gunnar Solskjær Molde 2011, 2012
Norway Erling Moe Molde 2019, 2022
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More information Nat., Name ...
Current managers
Nat. Name Club Appointed Time as manager
NorwayKjetil KnutsenBodø/Glimt17 November 2017[20]7 years, 3 days
NorwayErling MoeMolde29 April 2019[21]5 years, 205 days
Norway
Sweden
Hans Erik Ødegaard
Andreas Tegström
Sandefjord1 January 2021[22]3 years, 324 days
Norway
Norway
Morten Jensen
Bjarte Lunde Aarsheim
Viking1 January 2021[23]3 years, 324 days
NorwayEirik HornelandBrann19 July 2021[24]3 years, 124 days
DenmarkJakob MichelsenHamKam9 January 2022[25]2 years, 316 days
NorwayJørgen IsnesStrømsgodset14 December 2022[26]1 year, 342 days
NorwayJohannes MoesgaardKFUM Oslo22 December 2022[27]1 year, 334 days
SwedenAlfred JohanssonRosenborg14 December 2023[28]342 days
NorwayAmund SkiriKristiansund26 December 2023[29]330 days
Norway
Norway
Jørgen Vik
Gard Holme
Tromsø8 January 2024[30]317 days
NorwayKenneth DokkenOdd16 January 2024[31]309 days
DenmarkSancheev ManoharanHaugesund10 May 2024[32]194 days
NorwayChristian MichelsenSarpsborg 0825 June 2024[33]148 days
NorwayAndreas HagenFredrikstad15 July 2024[34]128 days
DenmarkDavid NielsenLillestrøm23 August 2024[35]89 days
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Statistics

League ranking and European qualification

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]

Attendance

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][41]

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.

More information Year, Total ...
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
1975 893 874 6 772
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More information Year, Total ...
Year Total Average
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
1987 469 030 3 553
1988 576 257 4 365
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More information Year, Total ...
Year Total Average
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
1999 983 630 5 404
2000 1 024 722 5 639
2001 1 013 264 5 567
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More information Year, Total ...
Year Total Average
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
2011 1 919 325 7 994
2012 1 680 822 7 003
2013 1 637 716 6 824[42]
2014 1 670 706 6 961[43]
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More information Year, Total ...
Year Total Average
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*
2022 1 371 235 5 713
2023 1 737 332 7 239
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  • = Restricted due to COVID-19.

Players

Individual records

  

Most appearances

Thumb
Daniel Berg Hestad is the player with most appearances.
As of 7 July 2024[44]
More information Number, Player ...
Number Player Years Matches
1 Norway Daniel Berg Hestad 1993–2016 473
2 Norway Steffen Hagen 2004–present 456
3 Norway Morten Berre 1996–2015 452
4 Norway Frode Kippe 1997–2019 441
5 Norway Roar Strand 1989–2010 439
6 Norway Øyvind Storflor 1999–2019 421
7 Norway Erling Knudtzon 2007–present 416
8 Norway Espen Hoff 1999–2016 406
9 Norway Lars-Christopher Vilsvik 2010–present 386
10 Norway André Hansen 2009–present 358
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Thumb
Sigurd Rushfeldt is the league's top scorer.

Most goals scored

As of Start of the 2022 season[45]
More information Number, Player ...
Number Player Years Goals Matches Average
1 Norway Sigurd Rushfeldt 1992–2011 172 299 0.58
2 Norway Harald Martin Brattbakk 1990–2005 166 255 0.65
3 Norway Petter Belsvik 1989–2003 159 292 0.54
4 Norway Odd Iversen 1967–1982 158 225 0.70
5 Norway Per Kristoffersen 1956–1968 145 194 0.75
6 Norway Frode Johnsen 1999–2015 132 301 0.45
7 Norway Thorstein Helstad 1995–2013 116 234 0.50
Norway Bengt Sæternes 1996–2011 116 280 0.41
9 Norway Jostein Flo 1987–2001 114 213 0.54
10 Norway Arild Sundgot 1995–2011 111 325 0.34
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Foreign players

Awards

Trophy

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.[46] 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

Notes and references

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