Rosenborg were the high flying club of Norwegian football for decades, dominating the game in a country most known for great fishing waters, winter sports, northern lights and the midnight sun.
Since Nils Arne Eggen stepped down from his post as head coach in 2002 the club has in some way seen a decline, but with the charismatic man still around, Rosenborg managed to keep their 4-3-3 success running.
Nils Arne Eggen returned to the post as head coach in 2010, leading the club to another major league win, and with all the tradition still in place and of course the man himself enganged in the running of the club, Rosenborg continued to dominate and were league champions in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, also winning the cup in 2015 and 2016.
Kåre Ingebrigtsen and Erik Hoftun, two legends of the great RBK period in the 90’s, took charge of the team and managed to bring back hope and success all in the spirit of Nils Arne Eggen.
Despite success and good results, Rosenborg decided to split with Ingebrigtsen and Hoftun during the 2018 season, giving the job in an interim position to academy manager Rini Coolen. Coolen kept a good hand, bringing another league trophy to Lerkendal.
Since then a number of different and strange head coach appointments were made, to try to bring the club back to their best level, but so far nothing has worked as planned.
Molde and Bodo Glimt are the two clubs in Norwegian football who have taken steps and climbed above Rosenborg in recent years, both having a grand foundation and special skilled people of football in their management. Brann, Viking and Tromso are other clubs performing well at the moment.
Rosenborg surprisingly appointed former FC Copenhagen u.19 coach Alfred Johansson as their new head coach in front of the 2024 season. The 33 year old Swede was one coming out of thin air and a far out change regarding the CV of past appointments. From distance this looks an odd and very strange appointment and so far in pre-season looks far from expectations.
Rosenborg can no longer depend on Champions League as their main source of financial funding, and struggles to find a good model for progress. Recently said to be opening for external ownership, but so far no decision looks close.
Rosenborg do still have a good mix of experienced players and talented youth, with former Norwegian internationals Markus Henriksen and Ole Selnæs in the squad, Previous Liverpool academy prospect Edvard Tagseth is also on Rosenborg books.
Hopefully focus will be on football going forward and not having problems with players drinking Pepsi Max, banning the players from drinking this type of no-sugar soft drink. This looks as a drastic action to improve results, and could instead backlash and see the new head coach Alfred Johansson being replaced before the season starts. The 33 year old is no longer coaching teenagers at FC Copenhagen, and we all know how little time you get at Lerkendal before negativity spreads and life of the past becomes the benchmark.
The legendary Roar Strand, who was in a role around the first team, has been moved to other work at the club, seeing Jordi Gonzales Aznar as the new assistant of Alfred Johansson. Aznar has previously been working as an assistant for Norway and Swedish club Häcken.
Rosenborg finished last season in a dissappointing 11th position, falling from 3rd the season before. They will not compete in Europe, something very awkward, only missing the cut two times since 1989/90. Last season ending their European campaign against Scottish club Hearts in Conference League 3rd round qualifier.
RBK looks far from the level they once had, seeing a decline in action since 2018, not really part of the major trophy hunts anymore, and so far in pre-season, no answers given, with a shocking 1-4 defeat to 2nd tier club Valerenga, in their last outing.
SOCCERVOICE UPDATE
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