History of Rosenborg BK facts for kids
Rosenborg Ballklub is a famous football club from Trondheim, Norway. It started in 1917 as Odd with 12 boys. They played friendly matches because they weren't allowed to join the Football Association of Norway (NFF) yet. After getting permission, they changed their name to Rosenborg and joined the official league system in 1928. Rosenborg played in regional leagues, moving between divisions, until 1937. They also started playing in the Norwegian Football Cup in 1932. In 1937, they joined the new League of Norway. However, the Second World War started in 1940, stopping all organized sports.
After the war, in 1945, Rosenborg won a special regional league and became district champions. They spent the next few years moving between the Third and Second Divisions. In 1958–59, they won the Third Division, and the next season, they won the Second Division. This allowed Rosenborg to play in the top league, the Main League. Rosenborg won their first cup trophy in 1960. In the important 1961–62 season, they didn't qualify for the new First Division. The club spent four seasons in the Second Division. Since then, they have almost always played at the top level, except for the 1978 season. Rosenborg won the cup again in 1964, which let them play in the Cup Winners' Cup the next season. They won the league in 1967, 1969, and 1971. In 1971, they also won "the double," meaning both the league and the cup in the same year.
Rosenborg won the league again in 1985, then in 1988 and 1990. From 1992 to 2004, Rosenborg won an amazing 13 league titles in a row! They have won three more titles since then. The club didn't have much success in UEFA tournaments at first, but in 1995, they reached the group stage of the Champions League. They did this eight times in a row and eleven times overall. Much of their success in the 1990s is thanks to their manager, Nils Arne Eggen. After he retired in 2002, the club had many different managers, and their consistent success became harder to maintain.
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How Rosenborg Ballklub Started
The club was founded by twelve boys, around 17 years old, from the Rosenborg area. This happened on May 19, 1917. They named it Odd, after a very successful club in Skien. The weekly membership fee was 0.25 Norwegian krone (NOK), which was the same price as a cinema ticket. This money would help them buy a football kit within a year. The team practiced in the Solhaug area during the summer. But they couldn't find other teams to play against.
On May 19, 1918, the club got a full kit for all twelve members. The shirts were blue with yellow details, and the shorts were white. Odd played their first match in mid-July against a team called Falk, and they won 2–1. Sometimes, the club had trouble getting enough players for matches, especially because some players had shift work. At first, only the founders were members, but new players joined from 1919. That year, the club also started organizing dance parties.
Odd was not a member of the NFF, like many other clubs in Trondheim. They played unofficial tournaments and matches against other private clubs. In the early 1920s, more and more clubs joined the NFF. By 1923, Odd only played one match all season. In 1924, the club decided to try and join the NFF through the Trondheim Football District. This decision caused some disagreements. Many younger people joined the club around this time, leading to a change in the club's members.
Trygve Falstad and Richard Olsen became the team's most important players. They also started talking about joining the NFF. At that time, the football district didn't want more clubs. They said there weren't enough fields, and people could join existing clubs. Olsen became club president in 1926 and sent an application to join the district in July. It was approved by just one vote. Because NFF rules said no two clubs could have the same name, Odd changed its name to Rosenborg Ballklub.
Early Years and the War
Rosenborg was accepted into the league in 1926, but they had to wait a year before playing. They joined the regional league in the 1928 season. Back then, the district had two leagues, A and B, which played games every summer. In both 1928 and 1929, Rosenborg won their league. In 1929, they won all six games. But both times, they lost in the promotion play-offs.
In 1931, Rosenborg finally succeeded. They won all their league games and beat National in the play-offs. Sadly, a key player, Øivind Skagen, passed away that same year. The 1932 season was not good. The team had no coach and sometimes went months without training. They lost three out of four games, including a 9–2 loss to Freidig. After that summer, the team started training twice a week, but it wasn't enough to avoid being moved down to a lower division. This season also marked the club's first time playing in the Norwegian Football Cup.
In January 1933, star player Sigurd "Sikken" Fossum moved to SK Brage, a top-league team. This was the first time a better club "took" a player from Central Norway. Fossum said Rosenborg's training wasn't organized enough. Because of this, trainings became more structured. The team won the 1934 B league and moved up to the A league again. But a rematch against "Sikken" wasn't possible, as he passed away in a work accident. Later that year, three more players left the club for Trondheims-Ørn. Rosenborg was in a working-class neighborhood, but they chose to join the NFF instead of the Workers' Federation of Sports (AIF). The club's board said sports shouldn't be about politics.
In 1934, Rosenborg stayed in the A league, finishing fourth. In January 1935, the club started an ice hockey team. The main goal was to help players train during winter when football fields were covered in ice and snow. The idea came from Harald Petersen, Olav Fossum, and Trygve Falstad. They worried the football team would lose matches because opponents were fitter. At first, they trained on a frozen lake at Lian. For the next two seasons, Rosenborg finished second in the A league. In 1937, lights were put on the field at Solhaug. This allowed the pitch to be iced for winter training.
In the 1937 season, Rosenborg finished fifth in the A league. For the first time, they went past the second round of the cup, reaching the round of 16. There, they lost 0–5 to Fredrikstad. The 1937–38 season saw the creation of the League of Norway. This was a national top league with 11 groups. At the end of the season, there were play-offs to find a national champion. In its first season, Rosenborg played in a seven-team league with twelve matches, finishing sixth. The next season, Rosenborg won its group. They beat Kristiansund in the play-off quarter-final. In the semi-final, they played Skeid. The score was 0–0 until two minutes before the end, when Skeid scored the winning goal.
The 1939–40 season was stopped after the winter break because of the German invasion of Norway. People tried to keep sports going during the war, but by November 1940, sports groups went on strike. This stopped all games until the occupation ended. Players from Rosenborg and other teams secretly met on quiet fields in the evenings and on weekends. They played unofficial matches, often with mixed teams. The teams had secret names like Niffs and Fiffico. Results were shared in public places using secret poems that German soldiers couldn't understand. When people talked about players, they never used names. Instead, they referred to the teams the players had played for. Rosenborg trained at local pitches. Sometimes, they took trips around Trøndelag to play friendly matches. They often traveled without or with fake permits. During the Second World War, the Rosenborgbanen field was used by German soldiers stationed at Kristiansten Fortress.
Moving Up and Down the Leagues
The first game after the war was away against Buvik IL on June 3, 1945. The B-team lost 5–1, but the A-team won 2–1. Sports clubs from Östersund in Sweden sent packages with shoes and kits to Rosenborg. This meant Rosenborg's A-team played in green kits, and other teams wore white and red. The shoes were given to promising young players, not the older A-team players, which annoyed some older members. In the 1945 season, Rosenborg won the A league and became district champions after beating Falken 1–0. This was the team's first-ever title. Rosenborg also started a women's division, which joined the handball league. A men's handball team started the next season and won the district championships in their first year.
The 1946–47 season saw new regional qualification leagues. These decided which teams would play in the League of Norway. Rosenborg finished seventh and played in the Third Division the next year. In 1948, Harald Petersen stepped down as president. He had held the position on and off since 1923. He was removed by the NFF because a professional boxer he managed had played a match during the sports strike in 1941. However, Petersen stayed as the team's head coach until 1954. In the 1947–48 season, Rosenborg won their league group but lost the promotion play-off. The next season, they won the league again and this time were promoted. This allowed them to play in the Regional League in the 1949–50 season. Petersen used his Olympic silver-winning boxing client Henry Tiller and Hjalmar Andersen, who later won Olympic gold in speed skating, to bring new training methods to the club. These methods focused more on basic training, like long-distance running and sit-ups. For the next three seasons, Rosenborg stayed in the Regional League. They finished third in 1950–51, but then finished last in the next season and were moved back to the Third Division. The team stayed there for two seasons, finishing second in 1952–53. They won the 1953–54 season after Asbjørn Jøssund became manager and head coach.
In the 1954–55 season, the team stayed in the Regional League, finishing fifth. In the 1955 Cup, the team reached the round of 16. They lost a close game, 4–2, against Larvik Turn, who were the Main League champions at the time. The team needed younger players, as some older players retired after the 1955 season. In the 1955–56 season, Rosenborg was moved down to the Third Division again. But they won the next season and were promoted, only to finish last in the Regional League in the 1957–58 season and be moved down again. In the 1958–59 season, Rosenborg won their group of the Third Division for the fourth time in seven years. The next year, they won their group of the Regional League. The women's division of the club closed in 1958.
The team played in the Main League for the 1960–61 season, finishing third in their group. However, it was the cup that made 1960 Rosenborg's big year. The season before, the team had reached the round of 16. But in 1960, the team went all the way to the final. In the first match, they tied 3–3 against Odd. In the second game, they won 3–2. Both games went into extra time, making Rosenborg Norwegian football champions! Eldar Hansen scored five of Rosenborg's goals. In the 1961–62 season, Rosenborg joined the Marathon League. This was a 16-team, 30-game league that lasted from spring 1961 to fall 1962. It was designed to combine the two Main League groups into one top league, the ten-team First Division. John Krogh played his first game for Rosenborg that season. He also became the club's first player to play for the Norway national football team in 1962. The season also saw Rosenborg's first international friendly matches. They lost 1–3 at home against Scotland's Dunfermline and 3–0 away. Rosenborg finished ninth, missing the First Division by two points and one spot.
Rosenborg was still not the strongest football team in Trondheim. Clubs like Brage, Falken, Freidig, Kvik, Nidelv, and Ranheim could still beat Rosenborg on a good day. Rosenborg signed forward Tor Kleveland before the 1963 season. They still had their cup-winning team and Krogh, which made Rosenborg the most popular team in Trondheim. Up to 8,000 fans would watch matches at Lerkendal. The season ended with a third place. Afterwards, Krogh moved to Sweden's Högadal. Rosenborg again finished third in the league, behind Nidelv, who was the city's best team that season. However, Rosenborg managed to reach the cup final. They beat Skeid in the round of 16, Vålerengen in the semi-finals, and won the cup by beating Sarpsborg 2–1 in the final. The season also included a trip to Astrakhan in the Soviet Union.
In the 1965 season, forward Odd Iversen played his first game for the A team, scoring three goals against Kvik. That fall, Rosenborg played in their first UEFA tournament, the Cup Winners' Cup. The first match was away against Iceland's KR Reykjavík, which Rosenborg won 3–1. They repeated this score in the home match. In the second round, Rosenborg played Dynamo Kyiv. They lost 1–4 at home against a team with many players from the Soviet Union national football team. In the away match, Rosenborg played well but finally lost 2–0. This is the only time Rosenborg has played in the Cup Winners' Cup. In the final round of the league, Rosenborg lost 1–2 against Brann. Kvik lost 2–8 against Hødd. Hødd's score was exactly what they needed to pass Rosenborg in the league table. Before the 1966 season, Rosenborg lost several key players. Many new players were brought in, including world champion in ski jumping, Bjørn Wirkola. The team won the league three rounds before the season ended. The men's handball division closed in 1966.
Becoming a Top League Team
Nidelv's forward Harald Sunde, who played on the national team, moved to Rosenborg. The two forwards were key to Rosenborg winning the 1967 First Division. Other important players were Nils Arne Eggen, Jan Christiansen, and Svein Haagenrud. After beating Brann 3–1 in front of 26,000 fans at Lerkendal in the cup semi-final, Rosenborg lost 1–4 to Lyn in the final. The 1968 season saw Rosenborg finish second in the league and reach the semi-finals in the cup. Iversen scored 30 goals in 18 league matches. The team also played Rapid Wien in the European Cup. The attendance of 22,492 fans remains Rosenborg's home European match record.
The next year, an Englishman named George Curtis was hired as head coach. He changed Rosenborg's usual offensive and exciting style of play. Instead, he brought in a more strict defensive strategy. The number of goals scored went down from 53 to 36, and fewer fans came to games. But the club won the league easily. The team played Southampton in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.
Before this, a committee chose the team, while coaches like Curtis just trained them. Curtis demanded that if he continued as head coach, he also needed to be the manager, meaning he could choose the team. A committee was formed, but Curtis was given the right to select the team. Before the 1970 season, Iversen and Sunde were sold to Belgium's Racing Mechelen for a lot of money. To make up for this, Geir Karlsen was brought in from Odd. The 1970 First Division saw even more defensive play. The team finished second, scoring only 15 goals and letting in just 5 goals in 18 matches. In the European Cup, the team lost 0–7 overall to Standard Liège.
Curtis left Rosenborg after the season. Nils Arne Eggen was hired as the new manager, with Tor Røste Fossen as his assistant. Eggen combined Curtis's defensive work with more creative attacking play. This made the games more exciting and led to more goals. With a strong defense, led by center backs Kåre Rønnes and Bjørn Rime, the club won its first double. They beat Fredrikstad in the cup final. In the UEFA Cup, the team beat IFK Helsinki. They then lost to Belgium's Lierse because of the away goals rule. The next season started with less excitement among the players. By mid-season, they were closer to being moved down than winning a medal. The situation improved, and the team finished fourth. They lost the cup final against Brann. In the European Cup, the club lost to Celtic.
In the 1973 season, Fossen became manager and Kleveland became president. Iversen returned from Belgium after the club raised the money needed to buy him back. Rosenborg finished second in both the league and the cup. The next season saw Rosenborg finish eighth in the league. In the UEFA Cup, Rosenborg had their biggest loss ever, losing 1–9 to Hibernian. Rønning retired after the season and became the new manager with Christiansen. The 1975 season ended with a fourth place in the league. It also saw the rise of Svein Grøndalen and Jan Hansen. After the season, Iversen moved to Vålerengen.
Curtis was rehired as Rosenborg manager for the 1976 season. After a disagreement with him before the season, Rime left for Røros in the Third Division. Rosenborg ended up losing to them in the cup. Curtis was let go in August. Eggen, who was also managing the national team, was hired as a consultant and temporary manager. In the league, the club finished eighth.
Rime was hired as coach before the 1977 season. This season ended with only one win, last place in the league, and being moved down. The next season saw Rosenborg play a local derby for the first time in twelve years, against Strindheim. The club worried that being moved down would end their position as the city's top team. The club moved its offices into a German barracks from the war, located outside Lerkendal. Eggen was hired as coach again. This season saw three young players become well-known: Øivind Husby, Ola By Rise, and Knut Torbjørn Eggen. Rosenborg won the league and was promoted. Eggen became the top scorer.
The next season saw Rosenborg finish sixth in the league. Before the 1980 season, Iversen was bought from Vålerengen. The team finished fifth in the league. Rosenborg needed a playmaker in the central midfield. Before the 1981 season, Rosenborg signed Sverre Brandhaug. This was the first time the club paid to sign a local talent. The first May 16th game, held the evening before Constitution Day, was played that season. It became an annual event and usually the most-watched match. Attendance grew very quickly, with 21,000 people watching the Vålerengen match. Even though they led the league for most of the season, the team lost their last four matches and finished third. Eggen realized that while the team had many good individual players, they didn't work together well enough. This idea later became central to his coaching style. In the 1982 season, where the team finished sixth in the league, Iversen was mostly a reserve player. He retired afterwards and was given the club's first special match to honor his career.
Before the 1983 season, Eggen chose to focus on his teaching job. Tommy Cavanagh was hired as manager. Cavanagh had been a coach for Manchester United, where he was good at training players. But he wasn't as good at choosing the team, tactics, or inspiring players. He used players in the wrong positions and told them to kick the ball over the midfield, which made it hard to use the playmaker. By summer, his style was causing players to leave. Eggen moved to Orkanger in the Fourth Division, while Husby moved to Brøndby in Denmark. Cavanagh was let go in August. At that time, the club was second-to-last in the league. Eggen took over as manager for the rest of the season. The team finished seventh. The president, Erling Meirik, stepped down. He said the club should hire people based on more than just their fame and should get legal advice for contracts in the future.
In 1982, Eggen had suggested Bjørn Hansen as his replacement. After the Cavanagh situation, the management hired Hansen. He was calm, good at teaching, tactical, and continued with Eggen's football ideas. Forward Arne Dokken moved from Panathinaikos, and local talented defender Rune Bratseth was signed. The 1984 season resulted in a sixth place. Before the 1985 season, Roger Albertsen, Trond Sollied, and Gøran Sørloth were signed. In September, Hansen stepped down as manager by his own choice. Dokken replaced him. The final game of the season was a very important match against Lillestrøm. The game set a Lerkendal attendance record of 28,569 fans. Rosenborg won the league title after winning 1–0.
Torkild Brakstad was hired as manager before the 1986 season. By July, after bad results, the players were upset. They sent a formal letter to the management criticizing most parts of his work. Brakstad was let go in July. Dokken was hired as manager again, on the condition that he could also manage the team the next season. Dokken led the team to an eighth place in the league. They won against Linfield but lost to Red Star Belgrade in the European Cup. The 1987 season had a strange rule: all league ties were decided by a penalty shootout, with an extra point for the winners. This, along with moving games to Saturday, was meant to make games more exciting. Instead, attendance dropped very low, with only 1,000 fans watching the Lillestrøm game. Rosenborg had 11 penalty shootouts in 22 games and lost 7 of them. The team finished fourth in the league.
The Famous Eggen Era
Eggen had spent the last two seasons managing Moss. There, he first won the Second Division and then the First Division. A company, Rosenborg Sport A/S, was created to help fund the team, working with Forretningsbanken. This idea was supported by Eldar Hansen, who was the NFF president at the time. Eggen was signed as coach, while Dokken became the director of the new company. Two players from Bodø/Glimt were signed: wing Mini Jakobsen and midfielder Ørjan Berg. This season, Rosenborg won the double, beating Brann in two matches. Eldar Hansen also returned as president after his time as NFF president ended.
In the next season, the club lost 0–5 overall to KV Mechelen in the European Cup. They finished second in the league. After the season, By Rise tried to move to Southampton, but this was stopped by the Professional Footballers' Association. The 1990 season saw Rosenborg win the double again, beating Fyllingen in the cup final. In the UEFA Cup, the team lost 2–3 to the Soviet team Chornomorets Odesa. The 1991 season saw the team finish second in both the cup and the league. The cup final was notable for Rosenborg's reserve goalkeeper, Frode Olsen. He had been loaned out to the opponent, Strømsgodset, for the season. Eldar Hansen and many in the press publicly supported replacing By Rise with Olsen. Rosenborg lost the cup final partly because By Rise played poorly. The club lost to Italy's Sampdoria in the European Cup. Eggen said that while the attacking 4-3-3 formation worked well in Norway against weaker teams, it wasn't as successful against stronger teams from top football nations. Olsen was later sold to Start.
After the season, Brandhaug retired. He was replaced by Bent Skammelsrud, who was bought for a record amount in late 1990. Rosenborg signed defender Stig Inge Bjørnebye, midfielder Øyvind Leonhardsen, and forward Tore André Dahlum. The 1992 season resulted in the third double in five seasons. This time, they won the cup final against Lillestrøm. The team lost 3–5 overall to Dynamo Moscow in the UEFA Cup. This season also saw some issues with the club's finances. The entire board had to step down and were fined. Nils Skutle was elected chairman in January 1993.
The 1993 season saw Rosenborg win the league title for the first time. The team easily beat Luxembourg's Avenir Beggen. But they lost narrowly in the first round of Champions League to Austria Wien. At the time, the national team was very successful with Egil Olsen's defensive strategy. Some in the press and some players wanted Rosenborg to switch to a more defensive style, but Eggen refused. On October 4, 1993, the day after winning the league, several leading players demanded that Eggen step down. They said they were not happy with his coaching style. The next day, Eggen resigned as manager, but the board did not accept it. The issue was solved that same evening when they agreed on changes to Eggen's coaching style.
The 1994 season saw the return of players who would become very important to the team: forward Harald Martin Brattbakk and midfielder Roar Strand. During the 1994 FIFA World Cup, Rosenborg players made up almost a third of Norway's team. In the UEFA Cup, Rosenborg won 1–0 at home against Deportivo de La Coruña. The Spanish team needed extra time to beat Rosenborg in the return match. The season also saw a trial of double matches in the cup semi-final. Rosenborg lost 4–3 overall to Molde, who would become one of the club's main rivals in the coming seasons.
By Rise retired before the 1995 season and was replaced by Jørn Jamtfall. In the qualification, Rosenborg played Turkey's Beşiktaş. Rosenborg won the home match 3–0. They secured a spot in the group stage after losing 1–3 at İnönü Stadium. In the group stage, Rosenborg finished third, one point behind Legia Warszawa. Spartak Moscow finished first, and Blackburn Rovers last. Rosenborg won the double after beating Brann in the cup final.
Because only all-seater stadiums would be allowed for UEFA matches from 1997, Rosenborg needed to expand Lerkendal. Otherwise, they would be limited to 2,800 fans per game. Discussions began with the city about ownership, removing the running track, and building new stands. The Adidas Stand opened for the 1996 season. Rosenborg qualified for Champions League by beating the previous season's semi-finalist, Panathinaikos. In the group stage, Rosenborg beat IFK Göteborg, who was considered Scandinavia's best club at the time, in both matches. But they failed to get points against Porto. Before the last match, against AC Milan at San Siro, Rosenborg needed to win to advance. They had lost 1–4 in the home match. The Norwegian team won 2–1. They then met Juventus in the quarter-finals. After tying the reigning champions 1–1 at home, Rosenborg lost 2–0 at Stadio delle Alpi. Rosenborg beat Brann 10–0 and won the league five rounds before it ended.
The team's success in Europe made foreign teams interested in their players. Iversen was sold in 1996. In 1997, Rosenborg sold or lost several players, including Løken, Bjørn Tore Kvarme, Trond Egil Soltvedt, Jon Olav Hjelde, Brattbakk, and Ståle Stensaas. To make up for this, side-back André Bergdølmo, forward Sigurd Rushfeldt, and midfielder Runar Berg were bought. The 1997 season saw Rosenborg win the league with a record 87–20 goal difference. They qualified for Champions League by beating MTK Budapest. In the group stage, Rosenborg beat both Real Madrid and Porto 2–0, and Olympiacos 5–1 at Lerkendal. Only a last-minute goal by Olympiacos in the final 2–2 game stopped Rosenborg from winning the group. In this unusual season, only group winners advanced to the quarter-finals.
The 1998 season saw Trond Sollied take over as manager for a season while Eggen took a break. Vegard Heggem was sold to Liverpool for a record amount. Rosenborg won the league with only one loss, but lost the cup final to Stabæk. Champions League participation was secured after beating Club Brugge on the away goal rule. In the group stage, Rosenborg, Galatasaray, and Juventus all ended with 8 points. Rosenborg did not advance due to goal difference. The player sales meant the team had less continuity. Only three players who played in the Milan match were used in the Juventus match.
Eggen returned before the 1999 season. This season also saw the sale of Rushfeldt and the purchase of John Carew. He was bought for a large sum and sold a year later for an even larger sum. A new training ground was built outside Lerkendal, and the indoor Abrahallen was built for winter training. The season saw Rosenborg claim its seventh double. They also got a direct spot in the group stage of Champions League. Rosenborg won their group after five matches, including a 0–3 win against Borussia Dortmund at Westfalenstadion.
The 2000 season saw Carew, Bergdølmo, and Bragstad leave the club. They were replaced by forward Frode Johnsen. That year, Rosenborg had the oldest average player age in Champions League. They were also the only team to have played seven seasons in a row in the group stage. They had a 6–0 victory over Helsingborg and a 3–1 win over Paris Saint-Germain at Lerkedal. However, the team lost 2–7 against the Paris team away. The 2001 season saw the return of Brattbakk and Stensaas. In Champions League, Rosenborg won only one game and finished last in the group stage for the first time. Midway through the 2002 season, Eggen announced he would retire. Åge Hareide was signed as manager. After a slow start to the season, Lyn had a ten-point lead, but Rosenborg eventually won the title. In September, Lerkendal was finished being rebuilt as a modern all-seater stadium, with space for 21,166 fans. In the Champions League group with Inter, Lyon, and Ajax, Rosenborg failed to win a single game, but they managed four draws.
New Challenges and Successes
One of Hareide's main goals was to replace older key players with younger ones. Skammelsrud was the first to retire, and Ørjan Berg took over the playmaker position. Hareide also focused more on defensive work. In the 2003 season, the team won the double, taking both the league and cup ahead of Bodø/Glimt. However, Rosenborg failed to beat Deportivo de La Coruña in the Champions League qualification. Instead, they played in the UEFA Cup. In September, Hareide was offered to become manager of the national team.
By Rise, who had been an assistant manager under both Hareide and Eggen since 1999, was hired as manager before the 2004 season. He had a two-year contract. By Rise led the club to Champions League, but they didn't win any games in the group stage. Two games before the end of the league, Rosenborg hadn't won a game in a month. By Rise was told he would have to step down after the season. Rosenborg won the match against Bodø/Glimt. Before the final round, they had the same number of points and goal difference as Vålerenga, but Rosenborg had scored more goals. In the last matches, Rosenborg won 4–1, and Vålerenga won 3–0. This secured Rosenborg their thirteenth league title in a row, based on goals scored. The season also saw the first of three editions of the Scandinavian post-season Royal League. Rosenborg advanced to the second group stage but didn't go further.
Per Joar Hansen, By Rise's assistant, took over for the 2005 season. Eggen acted as a mentor, and Rune Skarsfjord and Bjørn Hansen were assistants. This season also saw the return of Kvarme, the purchase of defender Alejandro Lago, and the retirement of Hoftun. Alexander Tettey and Per Ciljan Skjelbred became important players on the team, along with Swede Mikael Dorsin. By the summer break, Per Joar Hansen felt that Eggen was too controlling and wanted him removed. After the team lost 1–2 against Lillestrøm on August 7, and it was clear they wouldn't win the league, Hansen resigned. Per-Mathias Høgmo was hired the next day. He helped Rosenborg qualify for Champions League after beating Steaua București. However, they only managed a seventh place in the league, having lost more games than Hansen.
The 2006 season was the first time since 1988 that Rosenborg did not play in a UEFA tournament. Steffen Iversen was bought and became the team's top scorer in four of the next five seasons, along with Daniel Braaten and Marek Sapara. Høgmo hired many specialized coaches, including a mental coach, a fitness coach, a development coach, and Knut Tørum as assistant. By July, Høgmo was exhausted. Tørum took over as acting manager. He managed to change the team's performance and won the league after beating Brann two rounds before the season ended.
Høgmo never returned, and Tørum became permanent manager for the 2007 season. But he stepped down five games before the end of the season, leaving his assistant Trond Henriksen in charge. The club finished fifth in the league. But they managed to reach Champions League, where the team won both games against Valencia 2–0, and tied Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Erik Hamrén was hired as a new manager, but his existing contract meant he couldn't start until July. So, Henriksen continued until then. When Hamrén took over, the team was in ninth place, and he brought them up to fifth by the end of the season. The club qualified for the UEFA Cup by winning the Intertoto Cup after beating NAC Breda. In the UEFA Cup, Rosenborg advanced to the group stage. In his second season, Hamrén succeeded in winning the league. However, the club lost to Kazakhstan's Qarabağ in the qualification for the Europa League. They also lost 5–0 to Molde in the cup quarter-final. Hamrén left the club midway through the 2010 season to become manager for Sweden. Eggen took over as manager again and led them to the league title without losing a single league match. After beating Linfield and AIK, Rosenborg lost to Copenhagen on the away goal rule for a spot in Champions League. Instead, they played in the group stage of the Europa League.
See also
- List of Rosenborg BK seasons, for a statistical breakdown by season
