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Molde
Molde Fotball Logo.svg
Full name Molde Fotballklubb
Short name MFK
Founded
  • 19 June 1911; 114 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
Head Coach Per-Mathias Høgmo
League Eliteserien
2024 Eliteserien, 5th of 16

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. It was first called International and changed its name to Molde in 1915. Molde has 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). They have also finished second in the league eleven times. Molde is one of only two Norwegian clubs to have played in the UEFA Champions League.

Molde plays its home games at the Aker Stadion. This stadium can hold 11,249 fans. It opened in 1998. Local business people Kjell Inge Røkke and Bjørn Rune Gjelsten gave the stadium to the club. Before this, the club played at Molde Idrettspark. Molde's fan club is called Tornekrattet, which means "Thicket of Thorns." This name comes from Molde being known as "The Town of Roses." The club's biggest rival is Rosenborg.

Until the 1970s, Molde mostly played in lower leagues. They had a short time in the top league in 1957–58. In 1974, Molde returned to the top league and finished second. Since then, they have been one of Norway's best clubs. They usually stay in the top division. In 1987, Molde almost won the league but lost the final match to Moss.

In the 1990s and early 2000s, Molde was the second-best team in Norway. They were often behind Rosenborg, who won many titles. Molde won silver medals in the league in 1995, 1998, 1999, and 2002. They also won the cup in 1994 and 2005. In the 1999–2000 season, Molde played in the UEFA Champions League. Big teams like Real Madrid, Porto, and Olympiacos came to Molde.

As of 2017, the club has about 1,000 members. They have around 55 teams in different parts of the club. Erling Moe was the manager from December 2018 until December 2024. Per-Mathias Høgmo became the new head coach in January 2025.

Club History

Early Days (1911–1963)

Molde FK started on June 19, 1911. It was founded by Klaus Daae Andersen. J. Ferdinand Dahl was the first chairman. On April 24, 1912, the club decided to call itself International. This might have been because they played against visitors from cruise ships. Or it could have been for the many Danes working in a local factory.

On August 5, 1912, the club played its first official game. It was an away match against Kristiansund and ended in a 2–2 draw. In 1915, the club changed its name to Molde Fotballklubb. This was because football was becoming more popular in nearby towns. Molde played in the top league in 1939–40. But the season stopped because of the German occupation. After the war, in 1947–48, Molde was moved down from the top league.

The Big Break (1964–1977)

On August 2, 1964, Molde surprised everyone. They beat Fredrikstad 3–2 in the Norwegian Cup. Fredrikstad had won the cup nine times and the league nine times. Players like Jan Fuglset, Torkild Brakstad, and Harry Hestad played for Molde then.

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

In 1974, Molde was back in the top league. New talented players joined the team. Also, top players like Fuglset, Brakstad, and Hestad returned. Molde surprised other clubs in their first season in the top league. They were even leading the league for many weeks. Molde 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 leading clubs. Many Molde players have played for the national team. Some have also played professionally in other countries.

Ups and Downs (1978–1993)

Between 1978 and 1984, Molde kept moving between leagues. They were moved down from the top league in even-numbered years. Then they were moved back up in odd-numbered years. This happened three times in a row.

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

The 1987 season was very close. Molde almost won the league title. They needed a draw at home against Moss in the last game. But Moss won 2–0 at Molde stadium. So, Moss won the league, and Molde finished second. A record 14,615 fans watched that game at the old stadium.

Molde played in their second cup final in 1989. They drew 2–2 with Viking in the first match. Viking won the replay 2–1.

In 1993, Molde was moved down from the top league again. The club also had money problems. Local business people Kjell Inge Røkke and Bjørn Rune Gjelsten started to help the club. Since 1993, they have invested a lot of money. This helped pay old debts, buy new players, and build the new stadium.

The Silver Generation (1994–2000)

Åge Hareide became Molde's coach in 1994. They finished second in their league group and moved back up to the top league. Molde also beat their rivals Rosenborg in the semi-final of the 1994 Norwegian Cup. This sent Molde to their third cup final. Molde won their first title by beating Lyn 3–2 in Oslo.

Ole G Solskjaer
Molde player Ole Gunnar Solskjær joined Manchester United after playing well for Molde.

In the 1995 season, Molde was known for its three strong attackers: Ole Gunnar Solskjær, Arild Stavrum, and Ole Bjørn Sundgot. In their first league game, Molde won 6–0 against Brann. Solskjær scored two goals. 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 July 1996. Molde finished eighth that season. In 1997, Molde finished fourth. Erik Brakstad became the new coach in 1998.

In 1998, Molde played 21 matches without losing. This was a Norwegian record until 2009. Rosenborg then beat Molde's record. In the 22nd game, Molde lost to Vålerenga. Rosenborg won their game and took the top spot. On September 26, 1998, Rosenborg beat Molde 2–0 and won the league. Molde finished second again.

In 1999, Molde had a great season. 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. Molde became the team from the smallest city to reach the Champions League group stage. In the group stage, Molde played against Real Madrid, Porto, and Olympiacos. They won one game and lost five, finishing last in their group. In 2011, for Molde's 100-year anniversary, fans voted 1999 as the club's best year ever.

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

In November 2000, Gunder Bengtsson became Molde's head coach. In 2002, he led Molde to second place in the league. This was the club's sixth silver medal. But some fans were not happy because of the team's defensive style.

In May 2003, Bengtsson was fired. Odd Berg took over. Molde struggled that season. They avoided being moved down on the last day of the season. In 2004, Reidar Vågnes coached the team. Molde finished 11th, just above the relegation zone.

In 2005, Bo Johansson became coach. Molde won their second Norwegian Cup title in November 2005. They beat Lillestrøm 4–2 in the final. Johansson left after one season. Arild Stavrum became the new coach.

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

A New Era (2007–Present)

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

In the 2010 Tippeligaen, Molde was struggling. Jonevret was fired in August 2010. Uwe Rösler took over. Under Rösler, Molde played much better and avoided being moved down. Baye Djiby Fall became the league's top goalscorer that season.

Before the club's 100-year anniversary in 2011, former Molde and Manchester United player Ole Gunnar Solskjær returned to manage the club. Molde 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 coach Cardiff City in England.

Under new manager Tor Ole Skullerud, Molde won both the league and the cup in 2014. This was their first "double" win. Skullerud was fired in August 2015. Solskjær then returned to Molde. On December 19, 2018, Solskjær left again to become the manager of Manchester United. Erling Moe became Molde's permanent manager in April 2019. Moe led Molde to their fourth league title in his first full season.

Molde won their fifth league title in 2022. They also won the Norwegian Cup in 2022 and 2023. Erling Moe left the club in December 2024. Per-Mathias Høgmo became the new head coach in January 2025.

Team Kit

Molde's home kit is blue shirts, white shorts, and white socks. Their away kit is usually white shirts, blue shorts, and blue socks. For European games, they sometimes 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. This partnership has been renewed several times.

From 2002 to 2013, Umbro made Molde's shirts. In December 2013, Molde signed a four-year 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 made by Nike until 2021. Sparebanken Møre was 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

Stadiums

Aker Stadion IMG 1424
Aker Stadion in 2014.

Molde's current home stadium is the Aker Stadion. It is located by the sea in central Molde. The stadium cost a lot of money to build. Most of it was paid for by investor Kjell Inge Røkke. The stadium is sometimes called "Røkkeløkka" after him.

The stadium was first called Molde Stadion. On May 3, 2006, its name changed to Aker Stadion. This was because of a sponsorship deal with Røkke's company, Aker. The stadium officially opened on April 18, 1998. The Prime Minister of Norway, Kjell Magne Bondevik, opened it. In the first game, Molde beat Lillestrøm 4–0. Over 13,000 fans watched. The record number of fans at Aker Stadion is 13,308. This happened on September 26, 1998, when Molde played Rosenborg.

When Molde qualified for the 1999–2000 UEFA Champions League group stage, seats were added to the stadium. This made it an all-seater stadium. Today, Aker Stadion can hold 11,249 people.

Before 1998, Molde played at Molde Idrettspark. This was a multi-use stadium owned by the city. 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 main fan club is called Tornekrattet. This name means "The thicket of thorns" in English. It refers to Molde being known as "The Town of Roses." The fan club started after Molde won the Norwegian Cup in 1994.

Rivalries

Molde has its strongest rivalry with Rosenborg. They also have rivalries with nearby teams like Aalesund and Kristiansund.

The rivalry with Rosenborg is strong because both teams have often fought for the top league title. Together, they have won many league titles. This makes their matches very exciting.

Players

Current Squad

No. Position Player
1 Norway GK Jacob Karlstrøm
2 Norway DF Martin Bjørnbak
3 Norway DF Casper Øyvann
4 Denmark DF Valdemar Lund
5 Norway MF Eirik Hestad
6 Norway DF Isak Amundsen
7 Norway MF Magnus Wolff Eikrem (captain)
8 Norway FW Fredrik Gulbrandsen
9 Ghana FW Jalal Abdullai (on loan from Elfsborg)
10 Denmark MF Mads Enggård
11 Ivory Coast MF Caleb Zady Sery
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
No. Position Player
20 Norway MF Kristian Eriksen
21 Norway DF Martin Linnes
22 Poland GK Albert Posiadała
23 Norway MF Sondre Granaas
25 Norway FW Oskar Spiten-Nysæter
26 South Africa DF Samukele Kabini
27 Nigeria MF Daniel Daga
29 Norway FW Gustav Nyheim
30 Norway MF Leon-Robin Juberg-Hovland
31 Norway MF Andreas Eikrem Myklebust
32 Norway GK Peder Hoel Lervik
33 Norway DF Birk Risa
34 Republic of Ireland GK Sean McDermott
36 Norway DF Filip Kristoffersen
43 Norway FW Magnus Tomren Solheim
55 Norway GK Mads Eikrem Myklebust
Norway DF Daniel Nakken

For season transfers, see 2025 Molde FK season.

Player Records

All current players are in bold.

Player of the Season

2014–
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

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
Head Coach Norway Per-Mathias Høgmo
Assistant coach Norway Magne Hoseth
First team coach Sweden Mario Chavez
Goalkeeping coach Norway Per Magne Misund
Fitness coach Norway Espen Gjøstøl
Analysis manager Norway Petter Rudi
Performance analyst Norway Eric Kirkevold
Chief Scout Norway Espen Sørum Hansen

Medical and Sport Science Staff

Role Name
Medical coordinator Norway Lars Håvard Sæbø
Physiotherapist Norway Andreas Ranvik
Manual therapist Norway Rune Roksvåg
Sports rehabilitator Norway Espen Gjøstøl
Doctor Norway Endre Skjølberg
Doctor Norway Kjell Erik Strømskag
Doctor Norway Martin Engeland
Head of sport secretariat Norway Snorre Strand
Equipment manager Norway Asbjørn Outzen
Assistant equipment manager Norway Leif Arne Ness
Sports nutritionist Norway Heidi Holmlund

Club Honours

Molde is one of the most successful clubs in Norway. They have won many trophies. The club's first trophy was the Norwegian Cup in 1994. In 2011, they won their first league title. In 2014, they won both the league and the cup in the same year.

Domestic Titles

League

Top League (Eliteserien)
  • Champions (5): 2011, 2012, 2014, 2019, 2022
  • Runners-up (11): 1974, 1987, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2009, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021
  • Third Place (3): 1977, 1988, 1990
Second Tier League
  • Winners (3): 1937–38, 1938–39, 1948–49, 1973, 1983, 2007

Cup

  • Norwegian Cup:
    • Winners (6): 1994, 2005, 2013, 2014, 2021–22, 2023
    • Runners-up (4): 1982, 1989, 2009, 2024

Doubles

  • League and Cup: 2014

Club Records

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

Molde has played in several UEFA tournaments. These include the Champions League, Europa League, and Europa Conference League.

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

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 Eliteserien 5 30 15 7 8 64 36 52 7,145 Final UEFA Europa League – Play-off round Kristian Eriksen 14
2025 (in progress) Eliteserien 12 15 5 2 8 22 23 17 7,145 Fourth round Kristian Eriksen
Veton Berisha
3

Molde Managers

  • 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 (January 7, 1974 – May 19, 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 (March 1, 1977 – 1979)
  • Norway Torkild Brakstad (January 4, 1980 – December 31, 1981)
  • Norway Jan Fuglset (player-manager) (January 11, 1982 – July 21, 1984)
  • England Joseph Hooley (July 22, 1984 – December 31, 1984)
  • Sweden Hans Backe (January 7, 1985 – December 31, 1985)
  • Norway Åge Hareide and Harry Hestad (January 4, 1986 – December 31, 1989)
  • Norway Åge Hareide (January 5, 1990 – August 18, 1991)
  • Norway Ulrich Møller (caretaking player-manager) (August 18, 1991 – December 31, 1991)
  • Norway Jan Fuglset and Ulrich Møller (player-manager) (January 1, 1992 – December 31, 1993)
  • Norway Åge Hareide (January 1, 1994 – December 31, 1997)
  • Norway Erik Brakstad (January 1, 1998 – October 31, 2000)
  • Sweden Gunder Bengtsson (January 1, 2001 – May 22, 2003)
  • Norway Odd Berg (caretaker) (May 22, 2003 – December 31, 2003)
  • Norway Reidar Vågnes (January 1, 2004 – March 5, 2005)
  • Sweden Bo Johansson (March 18, 2005 – December 31, 2005)
  • Norway Arild Stavrum (January 1, 2006 – November 8, 2006)
  • Sweden Kjell Jonevret (January 1, 2007 – August 30, 2010)
  • Germany Uwe Rösler (interim) (August 31, 2010 – December 31, 2010)
  • Norway Ole Gunnar Solskjær (January 10, 2011 – January 2, 2014)
  • Norway Tor Ole Skullerud (January 13, 2014 – August 6, 2015)
  • Norway Erling Moe (caretaker) (August 7, 2015 – October 21, 2015)
  • Norway Ole Gunnar Solskjær (October 21, 2015 – December 18, 2018)
  • Norway Erling Moe (December 19, 2018 – December 8, 2024)
  • Norway Trond Strande & Eirik Mæland (joint caretakers) (December 8, 2024 – December 30, 2024)
  • Norway Per-Mathias Høgmo (January 9, 2025 – Present)

Images for kids

History of League Positions (since 1963)

1963–
1970
1971–
1973
1974–
1978
1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984–
1993
1994 1995–
2006
2007 2008–
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3

Molde played in the top league in 1947–48 and 1957–58. However, the league was organized differently before 1963.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Molde FK para niños

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