Viking FK have wrapped up their first Norwegian league title in 34 years, sparking massive celebrations within the metropolis of Stavanger.
Sunday’s 5-1 house win over Valerenga on the ultimate day of the season noticed them end one level above dethroned champions Bodo/Glimt, who beat Fredrikstad 5-0.
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It marked Viking’s first league title since 1991 – having been within the second tier as lately as 2018.
“Lots of people have been very nervous and enthusiastic about what is going on on nowadays. I’ve by no means skilled it earlier than,” Lars Risan – a Viking fan and podcaster instructed BBC Radio 5 Stay this week.
The schoolteacher, who referred to as for everybody to be given the time without work on Monday in the event that they gained the title, added: “Hopefully it will not be the one time of their life they expertise it, nevertheless it’s been 34 years.
“It is a massive deal. It brings us all collectively and we will have a good time as a metropolis. It is a type of particular belongings you by no means know when you can expertise once more.
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“You’ll be able to really feel the environment on the town. I would like everybody to have the ability to participate in that. If we may simply go right down to stadium and have a giant celebration that will be superior.”
So who’re Viking and the way did they win this title?
A brief Viking historical past
Roy Hodgson managed Viking within the 2005-06 Uefa Cup group levels, the place they beat Monaco and solely went out on purpose distinction [Getty Images]
Viking are considered one of Norway’s most profitable groups, with this their ninth league title.
Nonetheless six of their titles got here between 1972 and 1982.
They’ve had a number of British managers, together with former Manchester United defender Invoice Foulkes – a survivor of the 1958 Munich air catastrophe and European Cup winner in 1968 – in 1985, and Roy Hodgson for 18 months from 2004 to 2005.
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Viking additionally had a number of gamers who went on to have careers within the English Premier League, together with former Fulham striker Erik Nevland and defender Brede Hangeland, Southampton striker Egil Ostenstad and Thomas Myhre, who was a goalkeeper at Everton and Sunderland.
Nevland, who additionally performed for Manchester United, has been Viking’s sporting director since 2021.
In Europe they loved well-known days too, maybe most notably knocking Chelsea out of the Uefa Cup first spherical in 2002 with a 5-4 combination win.
However in 2017, below English supervisor Ian Burchnall and with a number of British gamers within the workforce, they had been relegated for the primary time in 31 years.
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Viking fan Risan stated: “They spent an excessive amount of cash on gamers who weren’t ok. Loads of issues went flawed and it led to relegation. But it surely turned out to be a great factor for Viking.”
Viking bounce again
Viking joint head coaches Bjarte Lunde Aarsheim (left) and Morten Jensen (proper) have led the membership to the title [Getty Images]
As they ready for the second-tier marketing campaign in 2018, again got here Bjarne Berntsen as head coach.
The veteran had beforehand performed for the membership, managed them from 1992 to 1995, had one other spell as caretaker boss and in addition been their chief government for some time.
They gained the second-tier title and promotion again to the highest flight on the first try.
“They realised they’d to return to their roots and make the individuals of Stavangar pleased with Viking, and be a part of the Viking household,” added Risan. “There have been a whole lot of native gamers, they invested within the youth academy.
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“They constructed for the longer term one thing that will be steady for years and never counting on cash from wealthy uncles, as we are saying in Norway.”
Of their first season again within the high flight, they gained the 2019 Norwegian Cup – their first trophy since 2001.
After ending sixth within the Covid-interrupted 2020 season, Berntsen was surprisingly sacked and changed by assistant managers Bjarte Lunde Aarsheim and Morten Jensen, who took over as joint bosses.
“Folks had been sceptical about it,” admitted Risan.
“It looks like it simply works for them regardless that individuals had been laughing or asking questions. They found out how they wished to do it and caught to it. They’re each from Stavanger and love the membership.”
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They completed third in 2021 and 2024 and the duo lastly acquired their workforce over the road this season after ending with seven consecutive wins.
The captain who helped the rise
Key to their success has been captain Zlatko Tripic.
The winger, who turns 33 on Tuesday, 3 December, joined the membership instantly following their relegation in 2018.
He had beforehand gained the Norwegian title twice with Molde in 2011 and 2012 – and arrived from Moldovan aspect Sheriff Tiraspol, the place he had performed in Europe.
“It is an incredible story,” stated Risan. “We had simply acquired relegated in 2017 and it was a giant shock when Zlatko turned up.
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“He was a profile, somebody we did not assume [we could sign]. We thought he simply got here to maintain match and practice.
“However he actually preferred the thought of taking the membership to one thing nice and being a part of a great story.
“Viking is historically a giant membership, nevertheless it was down within the mud. He is been a giant a part of taking Viking again to the highest of the desk.”
Tripic scored the winner of their 2019 cup closing success over Haugesund, however left in 2020 for Turkish aspect Goztepe, returning 18 months later.
And the Croatia-born ahead has reached double figures in each objectives and assists in every of the previous three seasons – one thing no Viking participant had ever achieved earlier than.
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Tripic notched the third purpose, from a first-half penalty, within the 5-1 victory over ninth-placed Valerenga which sealed the title.
And now he has achieved one thing no participant has achieved in a era – lifted the Eliteserien title as Viking captain.
