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Molde
Molde Fotball Logo.svg
Full name Molde Fotballklubb
Short name MFK
Founded
  • 19 June 1911; 113 years ago (1911-06-19) (as International)
  • 1915; 110 years ago (1915) (as Molde FK)
Ground Aker Stadion
Ground Capacity 11,249
Chairman Odd Ivar Moen
Manager Erling Moe
League Eliteserien
2023 Eliteserien, 5th of 16
Third colours

Molde Fotballklubb is a football club from Molde, Norway. They play in the Eliteserien, which is the top football league in Norway. The club started on June 19, 1911, and was first called International. In 1915, they changed their name to Molde.

Molde is a very successful club. They have won the league five times (in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2019, and 2022). They have also won the Norwegian Cup six times (in 1994, 2005, 2013, 2014, 2022, and 2023). Molde is one of only two Norwegian clubs to have played in the UEFA Champions League, which is a big European tournament.

The team plays its home games at the Aker Stadion. This stadium can hold 11,249 fans. It opened in 1998 and was a gift from local business people Kjell Inge Røkke and Bjørn Rune Gjelsten. Molde's fan club is called Tornekrattet, which means "Thicket of thorns". This name comes from Molde city's nickname, "The Town of Roses". Molde's biggest rival is Rosenborg.

Club History

Molde FK has a long and interesting history, growing from a small local team to one of Norway's best.

Early Days (1911–1963)

Molde FK was started on June 19, 1911, by Klaus Daae Andersen. The first chairman was J. Ferdinand Dahl. The club was first named International. This might have been because they played against teams from cruise ships or trading ships. Or it could have been to welcome the many Danish workers in the Gideon engine factory.

On August 5, 1912, the club played its first official match. It was an away game against Kristiansund and ended in a 2–2 draw. In 1915, the club changed its name to Molde Fotballklubb. They played in the top league for the first time in 1939–40. But that season was stopped because of the German occupation. In 1947–48, Molde was moved down from the top league.

Breaking Through (1964–1977)

On August 2, 1964, Molde surprised everyone. They beat Fredrikstad 3–2 in the Norwegian Cup. Fredrikstad was a very strong team back then. Players like Jan Fuglset, Torkild Brakstad, and Harry Hestad played for Molde during this time.

In 1970, Molde moved up to the second-highest league. They stayed there for three seasons. Then, on September 16, 1973, they won 5–1 against Sogndal. This win meant they were promoted to the top league, the Eliteserien.

In 1974, Molde was back in the top division. Many talented young players joined the team. Also, older stars like Fuglset, Brakstad, and Hestad returned. Molde did very well that season. They were even leading the league for many weeks. In the end, they finished second, just one point behind the champions, Viking. Since then, Molde has usually stayed in the top league. They have become one of Norway's top clubs. Many Molde players have also played for the national team.

Ups and Downs (1978–1993)

Between 1978 and 1984, Molde often moved between leagues. They were moved down from the top league in even-numbered years. Then they were promoted back up in odd-numbered years.

In 1982, Molde played in their first ever cup final. They lost 3–2 against Brann at Ullevaal Stadion. This was even though they were moved down from the top league that year.

The 1987 season was very exciting. Molde was very close to winning the league title. They just needed a draw at home against Moss in the last game. But Moss won 2–0, and Molde finished second. The crowd for that game was 14,615, which was a record for the old Molde stadium.

Molde played in another cup final in 1989. They drew 2–2 with Viking in the first match. But Viking won the replay 2–1. In 1993, Molde was moved down from the top league again. The club also had money problems. But local business people Kjell Inge Røkke and Bjørn Rune Gjelsten started to help the club. They invested a lot of money to pay off debts and buy new players. They also helped build the new stadium.

The Silver Generation (1994–2000)

In 1994, Åge Hareide was Molde's coach. The team finished second in their league group and moved back up to the top division. Molde also reached the semi-final of the 1994 Norwegian Cup. They beat their main rivals Rosenborg 4–3 overall. Molde then won their first ever trophy by beating Lyn 3–2 in the final.

Ole G Solskjaer
Molde striker Ole Gunnar Solskjær was signed by Manchester United after his successful two-season spell at Molde

In 1995, Molde became famous for their three strikers: Ole Gunnar Solskjær, Arild Stavrum, and Ole Bjørn Sundgot. In their first league game, Molde won 6–0 against Brann. Solskjær scored two goals in that game. Molde won six games in a row and stayed near the top of the league. They finished second, 15 points behind Rosenborg.

Solskjær scored 31 goals in 42 games for Molde. He was then sold to Manchester United in 1996. Molde finished eighth that season. In 1997, they finished fourth.

In 1998, Molde did not lose any of their first 21 matches. This was a Norwegian record for a long time. But then they lost to Vålerenga. Rosenborg then took over the top spot. Rosenborg won the league that year, and Molde finished second again.

The year 1999 was a very good season for Molde. They finished second in the league. They also reached the semi-final of the 1999 Norwegian Cup. Molde also played in the UEFA Champions League. They beat CSKA Moscow and Mallorca to reach the group stage. This was a huge achievement for a team from a small city. In the group stage, Molde played against big teams like Real Madrid, Porto, and Olympiacos. They won one game and lost five, finishing last in their group.

From "Gunder method" to Relegation (2001–2006)

In 2001, Gunder Bengtsson became Molde's head coach. In 2002, he led Molde to second place in the league. However, fans were not very excited because of the team's defensive style of play.

In 2003, Molde started the season poorly. Bengtsson was fired and Odd Berg took over. Molde struggled but avoided being moved down from the league. In 2004, the team finished 11th.

In 2005, Bo Johansson became the new coach. Molde won their second Norwegian Football Cup title. They beat Lillestrøm 4–2 in the final after extra time. But in the league, they finished 12th. They had to play a special playoff to stay in the top league, which they won. Bo Johansson left after one season. Arild Stavrum became the new coach.

Because they won the Norwegian Cup, Molde played in the 2006–07 UEFA Cup. They played against the Scottish team Rangers. Molde lost 2–0 overall. In the same year, Molde was moved down from the top league. They had been close to being moved down for four seasons. Arild Stavrum was fired at the end of the season.

A New Era (2007–Present)

In December 2006, Kjell Jonevret became the new head coach. In 2007, Molde won the second-highest league, the 2007 1. divisjon. This meant they were promoted back to the top league. In 2009, Molde was again the second-best team in Norway, behind Rosenborg. Molde also beat Rosenborg 5–0 in the cup quarter-final. In the final, Molde lost to their local rivals Aalesunds FK after a penalty shootout.

In 2010, Jonevret was fired because the team was not doing well. Uwe Rösler took over as coach. Under him, Molde played much better and avoided being moved down.

Before the club's 100-year anniversary in 2011, former Molde and Manchester United player Ole Gunnar Solskjær came back to manage the club. On June 19, 2011, Molde celebrated their anniversary with a 2–0 win. They were at the top of the league table. Molde then won their first league championship on October 30, 2011. They successfully defended their title in 2012. In 2013, Molde won the Norwegian Cup for the third time. Solskjær left the club in January 2014 to manage Cardiff City.

Under the new manager Tor Ole Skullerud, Molde won both the league and the cup in 2014. This was their first "double" win. But Skullerud was fired in 2015, and Solskjær returned. On December 19, 2018, Solskjær left again to become manager of Manchester United. Erling Moe then became Molde's permanent manager. Moe led Molde to their fourth league title in his first full season.

Team Kit

Molde's home kit is blue shirts, white shorts, and white socks. Their away kit usually has white shirts, blue shorts, and blue socks. For European games, they often wear all-blue home kits or all-white away kits.

Molde's first shirt sponsor was Opel in 1980. Over the years, they have had different sponsors. Since 2003, Sparebanken Møre has been their main shirt sponsor.

From 2002 to 2013, Molde's shirts were made by Umbro. In 2014, Molde signed a deal with Nike. Since 2022, Adidas has been their kit supplier.

Molde-Zenit (16) (cropped)
Molde's jersey (worn by Eirik Hestad in 2018) was manufactured by Nike, with Sparebanken Møre as the shirt sponsor.

Kit Suppliers and Shirt Sponsors

Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
1973–1979 Adidas none
1980 Hummel Opel
1981–1982 Storebrand
1983–1986 Glamox
1987–1989 Norsk Tipping
1990 DnB
1991 Expert
1992–1999 Diadora G-Sport
2000–2001 Commit
2002 Umbro
2003–2013 Sparebanken Møre
2014–2021 Nike
2022– Adidas

Home Stadiums

Molde's current stadium is the Aker Stadion. It is located by the sea in central Molde. The stadium cost a lot of money, mostly paid by investor Kjell Inge Røkke. Because of him, the stadium is sometimes called "Røkkeløkka". The official name became Aker Stadion in 2006.

Moldestadion
Aker Stadion

The stadium opened on April 18, 1998. The Prime Minister of Norway, Kjell Magne Bondevik, who was a Molde fan, officially opened it. In the first game, Molde beat Lillestrøm 4–0. About 13,010 fans came to watch. The record number of fans at Aker Stadion is 13,308. This was for a game against Rosenborg in 1998. When Molde played in the 1999–2000 UEFA Champions League group stage, more seats were added. Today, the stadium can hold 11,249 people.

Before Aker Stadion, Molde played at Molde Idrettspark since 1955. This was a city-owned sports ground. It opened on August 28, 1955. About 2,500 fans watched the first game there. The record attendance at Molde Idrettspark was 14,615 in 1987. Today, Molde Idrettspark is used by other local teams.

Fan Support

Molde's official fan club is called Tornekrattet. This name means "The thicket of thorns" in English. It refers to Molde city's nickname, "The Town of Roses." The fan club started after Molde won the 1994 Norwegian Football Cup final.

Rivalries

Molde's biggest rival is Rosenborg. These two teams have often fought for the top league title. They have won many titles between them, making their games very exciting. Molde also has rivalries with other teams from their region, like Aalesund and Kristiansund.

Players

Current Squad

No. Position Player
2 Norway DF Martin Bjørnbak
3 Norway DF Casper Øyvann
4 Denmark DF Valdemar Lund
5 Norway MF Eirik Hestad
7 Norway MF Magnus Wolff Eikrem (captain)
8 Norway FW Fredrik Gulbrandsen
9 Denmark FW Frederik Ihler
10 Denmark MF Mads Enggård
11 Nigeria FW Aaron Olanare
14 Norway FW Veton Berisha
15 Norway MF Markus André Kaasa
16 Norway MF Emil Breivik
17 Norway MF Mats Møller Dæhli
18 Norway MF Halldor Østervold Stenevik
19 Norway DF Eirik Haugan
20 Norway MF Kristian Eriksen
No. Position Player
21 Norway DF Martin Linnes
22 Poland GK Albert Posiadała
23 Norway MF Sondre Granaas
24 Norway MF Johan Bakke
25 Denmark DF Anders Hagelskjær
26 Norway DF Isak Amundsen
27 Norway FW Ola Brynhildsen (on loan from Midtjylland)
28 Norway DF Kristoffer Haugen
29 Norway FW Gustav Nyheim
31 Norway DF Mathias Fjørtoft Løvik

Fs player|no=32|nat=NOR|name=Peder Hoel Lervik|pos=GK}}

33 Norway MF Niklas Ødegård
34 Republic of Ireland GK Sean McDermott
36 Norway DF Filip Kristoffersen
43 Norway FW Magnus Tomren Solheim
55 Norway GK Mads Eikrem Myklebust

Player Records

Here are some interesting records held by Molde FK players in the top division. Current players are shown in bold.

Player of the Season

This award is given to the best player of the season.

2014–Present
Season Name Nationality Position Notes Ref
2014 Forren, VegardVegard Forren  Norway Defender RB-kruset
2015 Elyounoussi, MohamedMohamed Elyounoussi  Norway Midfielder RB-kruset
2016 Gabrielsen, RubenRuben Gabrielsen  Norway Defender Vote on club website
2017 Sigurðarson, BjörnBjörn Sigurðarson  Iceland Forward Decided by Molde players and staff
2018 Hestad, EirikEirik Hestad  Norway Midfielder RB-kruset
2019 Eikrem, Magnus WolffMagnus Wolff Eikrem  Norway Midfielder RB-kruset
2020 Gregersen, Stian RodeStian Rode Gregersen  Norway Defender RB-kruset
2021 Aursnes, FredrikFredrik Aursnes  Norway Midfielder RB-kruset
2022 Eikrem, Magnus WolffMagnus Wolff Eikrem  Norway Midfielder RB-kruset
2023 Eikrem, Magnus WolffMagnus Wolff Eikrem  Norway Midfielder RB-kruset

Club Officials

Molde FK has a team of people who help run the club.

Club Directors

Role Name
Chairman Odd Ivar Moen
Managing director Øystein Neerland
Chief Financial Officer Odin Holm Olsen
Marketing director Per Eikrem
Media officer and Match day director Per Lianes

Coaching Staff

Role Name
Manager Norway Erling Moe
First team assistant coach Norway Trond Strande
First team assistant coach Norway Eirik Mæland
First team goalkeeping coach Norway Per Magne Misund
Fitness coach Norway Kristian Gjøstøl
Individual players coach Sweden Mattias Moström
Analysis manager Norway Petter Rudi
Performance analyst Norway Eric Kirkevold
Chief Scout Norway Espen Sørum Hansen

Club Achievements

Molde is one of the most successful football clubs in Norway. They have won many trophies.

Domestic Trophies

League Titles

Top League (Eliteserien)
  • Champions (5 times): 2011, 2012, 2014, 2019, 2022
  • Runners-up (11 times): 1974, 1987, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2009, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021

Cup Wins

  • Norwegian Cup:
    • Winners (6 times): 1994, 2005, 2013, 2014, 2021–22, 2023
    • Runners-up (3 times): 1982, 1989, 2009

Double Wins

  • League and Cup: 2014 (They won both the league and the cup in the same year!)

Club Records

Daniel Berg Hestad Sandnes
Daniel Berg Hestad holds the club record for competitive appearances with 666.

Here are some of Molde FK's impressive club records.

Accomplishment Record
Most appearances Daniel Berg Hestad 666 (900 in total)
Most goals Jan Fuglset 164
Most goals scored in a league game 6, Jan Fuglset vs Strømsgodset in 1976
Longest unbeaten run 24 games in 2014
Greatest victory in Eliteserien 8–0 vs Moss in 1996
Heaviest loss in Eliteserien 0–8 vs Stabæk in 2006

European Football History

Molde FK has played in several big European football tournaments. Here are their overall statistics in these competitions.

Tournament Pld W D L GF GA GD Win%
Champions League &&&&&&&&&&&&&033.&&&&&033 &&&&&&&&&&&&&010.&&&&&010 &&&&&&&&&&&&&011.&&&&&011 &&&&&&&&&&&&&012.&&&&&012 &&&&&&&&&&&&&047.&&&&&047 &&&&&&&&&&&&&038.&&&&&038 +9 &&&&&&&&&&&&&030.30000030.30
Europa League / UEFA Cup &&&&&&&&&&&&&077.&&&&&077 &&&&&&&&&&&&&029.&&&&&029 &&&&&&&&&&&&&018.&&&&&018 &&&&&&&&&&&&&030.&&&&&030 &&&&&&&&&&&&0105.&&&&&0105 &&&&&&&&&&&&&099.&&&&&099 +6 &&&&&&&&&&&&&037.66000037.66
UEFA Europa Conference League &&&&&&&&&&&&&016.&&&&&016 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06 &&&&&&&&&&&&&030.&&&&&030 &&&&&&&&&&&&&021.&&&&&021 +9 &&&&&&&&&&&&&043.75000043.75
Cup Winners' Cup &&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&08.&&&&&08 −3 &&&&&&&&&&&&&025.&&&&&025.00
Total &&&&&&&&&&&&0129.&&&&&0129 &&&&&&&&&&&&&047.&&&&&047 &&&&&&&&&&&&&033.&&&&&033 &&&&&&&&&&&&&049.&&&&&049 &&&&&&&&&&&&0185.&&&&&0185 &&&&&&&&&&&&0163.&&&&&0163 +22 &&&&&&&&&&&&&036.43000036.43

Recent Seasons

This table shows Molde's performance in the league and cup in recent years.

Season League Cup Europe Top goalscorer (league)
Division Pos G W D L GS GA Pts Att Name Goals
2014 Tippeligaen 1 30 22 5 3 62 24 71 9,243 Winner UEFA Europa League – Third qualifying round Mohamed Elyounoussi 13
2015 Tippeligaen 6 30 15 7 8 62 31 52 8,952 Quarter-final UEFA Champions LeagueThird qualifying round
UEFA Europa League – Round of 32
Ola Kamara 14
2016 Tippeligaen 5 30 13 6 11 48 42 45 8,392 Third round Mohamed Elyounoussi
Harmeet Singh
5
2017 Eliteserien 2 30 16 6 8 50 35 54 7,785 Semi-final Björn Bergmann Sigurðarson 16
2018 Eliteserien 2 30 18 5 7 63 36 59 7,111 Second round UEFA Europa LeaguePlay-off round Erling Haaland 12
2019 Eliteserien 1 30 21 5 4 72 31 68 6,956 Third round UEFA Europa LeaguePlay-off round Leke James 17
2020 Eliteserien 2 30 20 2 8 77 36 62 200 Cancelled UEFA Champions League – Play-off round
UEFA Europa League – Round of 16
Leke James 13
2021 Eliteserien 2 30 18 6 6 70 40 60 600 Winner UEFA Europa Conference League – Third qualifying round Ohi Omoijuanfo 27
2022 Eliteserien 1 30 25 3 2 71 25 78 6,388 Quarter-final UEFA Europa Conference League – Group stage Datro Fofana 15
2023 Eliteserien 5 30 15 6 9 65 39 51 6,681 Winner UEFA Champions League – Play-off round
UEFA Europa League – Group stage
UEFA Europa Conference League – Knockout round play-offs
Emil Breivik
Ola Brynhildsen
Magnus Grødem
7
2024 (in progress) Eliteserien 4 29 15 7 7 64 35 52 6,681 UEFA Europa League – Play-off round Kristian Eriksen 14

Molde Managers

Here is a list of the managers who have led Molde FK over the years.

  • Norway Arne Legernes (player-manager) and Gunnar Talsethagen (1956–1957)
  • Germany Charlie Pohl (1958)
  • Norway Gunnar Talsethagen (1959–1961)
  • Norway Ulf Møller (1962)
  • Norway Gunnar Talsethagen (1963–1968)
  • Norway Harry Hestad and Torkild Brakstad (both player-managers) (1969)
  • Norway Torkild Brakstad (player-manager) (1970–71)
  • Norway Harry Hestad and Torkild Brakstad (both player-managers) (1972)
  • Norway Jan Fuglset (player-manager) (1973)
  • England Joseph Hooley (1974)
  • Norway Torkild Brakstad, Jan Fuglset and Harry Hestad (all player-managers) (1974)
  • Denmark Jack Johnsen (1975)
  • Norway Torkild Brakstad and Jan Fuglset (both player-managers) (1976)
  • Netherlands Huib Ruygrook (1977–1979)
  • Norway Torkild Brakstad (1980–1981)
  • Norway Jan Fuglset (player-manager) (1982–1984)
  • England Joseph Hooley (1984)
  • Sweden Hans Backe (1985)
  • Norway Åge Hareide and Harry Hestad (1986–1989)
  • Norway Åge Hareide (1990–1991)
  • Norway Ulrich Møller (caretaking player-manager) (1991)
  • Norway Jan Fuglset and Ulrich Møller (player-manager) (1992–1993)
  • Norway Åge Hareide (1994–1997)
  • Norway Erik Brakstad (1998–2000)
  • Sweden Gunder Bengtsson (2001–2003)
  • Norway Odd Berg (caretaker) (2003)
  • Norway Reidar Vågnes (2004–2005)
  • Sweden Bo Johansson (2005)
  • Norway Arild Stavrum (2006)
  • Sweden Kjell Jonevret (2007–2010)
  • Germany Uwe Rösler (interim) (2010)
  • Norway Ole Gunnar Solskjær (2011–2014)
  • Norway Tor Ole Skullerud (2014–2015)
  • Norway Erling Moe (caretaker) (2015)
  • Norway Ole Gunnar Solskjær (2015–2018)
  • Norway Erling Moe (2018–present)

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