Rosenborg BK facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Rosenborg

Full name	Rosenborg Ballklub
Nickname(s)	Troillongan ("The Troll Children")
Founded	19 May 1917; 108 years ago (1917-05-19) (as Odd)
Ground	Lerkendal Stadion Trondheim
Ground Capacity	21,421
Chairman	Cecilie Gotaas Johnsen
Head coach	Alfred Johansson
League	Eliteserien
2023	Eliteserien, 9th of 16
Home colours Away colours Third colours

Rosenborg Ballklub, often called Rosenborg or RBK, is a professional football club from Trondheim, Norway. They play in the top Norwegian league, Eliteserien. Rosenborg has won a record 26 league titles and shares the record for 12 Norwegian Football Cup wins. They have also played more UEFA matches than any other Norwegian team. RBK plays its home games at Lerkendal Stadion, which can hold 21,421 fans.

The club started as Odd in 1917. They weren't allowed to play in amateur leagues until 1928. That's when they changed their name to Rosenborg Ballklub. They joined the League of Norway in 1937–38. However, they were moved to lower divisions in the 1940s. The club moved to Lerkendal in 1957. Their first big win was the 1960 Cup. This allowed them to play in a UEFA tournament for the first time.

In the 1960s, RBK became Trondheim's best football team. In 1967, they were promoted to the top league. They have stayed there ever since, except for the 1978 season. They won three league titles between 1967 and 1971. The club's "golden era" began with their 1985 league title. From 1991 to 2004, they won 13 league titles in a row. Ten of these wins were under manager Nils Arne Eggen. During this time, they also played in the Champions League group stage 11 times. They even reached the quarter-finals in 1996–97.

Club History

How it All Started (1917–1959)

On May 19, 1917, 12 young men from the Rosenborg area in Trondheim started a sports club. They named it Sportsklubben Odd. This name was a tribute to Odd from Skien, which was Norway's most successful team back then.

Odd spent their first few years playing against other local teams. In 1920, they tried to join the regional league. But they were told no many times. This was because many of their players also played for bigger teams. The authorities worried there wouldn't be enough players if too many small clubs joined. Over time, some players left the club. In 1923, the first team played only one match.

By 1926, new members took over the club. Thanks to their hard work, Odd finally joined the regional league in 1927. This was ten years after the club began. A year later, they were ready to join the Football Association of Norway. But they couldn't because another club already had the name "Odd." So, on October 26, 1928, the club changed its name to Rosenborg Ballklub. Rosenborg is a neighborhood in Trondheim.

Rosenborg didn't have much success at first. They moved between the lower divisions of the regional league. But their playing got better. In 1931, the team reached the highest level. One year later, they played in the Norwegian Cup for the first time. Around this time, Rosenborg also started planning a new home ground at Lerkendal. This project was finished after World War II.

Big Wins Begin (1960–1968)

Rosenborg's youth team has always been one of the best in Norway. In the 1950s, a very talented group of young players grew up. They became the core of the first team's success in the 1960s and beyond. In 1960, Rosenborg made it all the way to the cup final. They played against Odd, the team they had named themselves after in 1917. It took a second game to decide the winner. Rosenborg won their first trophy! They won the cup again in 1964.

Rosenborg moved from the regional league to the main Norwegian league in 1960. In 1967, Rosenborg was promoted to the top level of Norwegian football. This was the Main League. This year was very successful for the club. Players like Harald Sunde, Nils Arne Eggen, and the young forward Odd Iversen led the team. Rosenborg won their first league title. Iversen scored 17 goals in 18 games that year. He went on to score 30 goals the next season. But even with his goals, Lyn beat Rosenborg for the title. By the end of the 1960s, Rosenborg was clearly one of Norway's top football clubs.

The 1960s also saw Rosenborg play in Europe for the first time. As cup winners in 1964, they played in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup the next year. Three years later, Rosenborg entered the European Cup as league champions.

Ups and Downs (1969–1987)

Rosenborg hired an English coach, George Curtis, in 1969. Curtis brought in a new 4–4–2 formation. He focused more on tactics and organization. This worked well at first, and Rosenborg won the league for the third time. But when Odd Iversen and Harald Sunde left, Rosenborg stopped scoring many goals. They didn't win again in 1970. Curtis was replaced by former player Nils Arne Eggen. Eggen changed the style back to more attacking football. Eggen's first time as coach was a big success. Rosenborg won both the league and the cup, known as The Double.

The 1971 Double ended the club's first great period. Rosenborg lost the cup final two years in a row. They also started to struggle in the league. Many coaches came and went without much success. In 1977, the team won only one match all season and finished last.

Nils Arne Eggen came back for his third time as coach, from 1978 to 1982. With the return of Odd Iversen, who was 35, Rosenborg got back into the 1st Division the next year. In 1979, Iversen was the top goalscorer for the fourth time. But by the time he retired in 1982, the club still hadn't returned to its best. That finally happened in 1985. After 14 years without a trophy, Rosenborg beat Lillestrøm in the last match. They won the league by just one point.

The Golden Era (1988–2002)

The year 1985 was a turning point for Rosenborg. But things really took off in 1988. The club got new money from a main sponsor and became fully professional. Nils Arne Eggen returned as head coach. He had just led Moss to the league title in 1987. In the late 1980s, Rosenborg won The Double twice (in 1988 and 1990).

Rosenborg then completely dominated Norwegian football in the 1990s. While the Norwegian national team played a defensive style, Rosenborg played exciting, attacking football. They won the Norwegian Premier League, which started in 1991, for 13 seasons in a row from 1992. They also won the Norwegian Cup five times.

In 1995, Rosenborg qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the first time. This helped the club's money situation and made them even stronger in Norway. The money from playing in Europe allowed Rosenborg to become the richest club in Norway. They could always offer new, promising players better deals than other teams. This also gave players the chance to play in Europe. This helped Rosenborg keep winning league titles and qualifying for European tournaments. During this time, few other clubs could truly challenge them for more than one season.

European Adventures

Rosenborg playing against Valencia.

Rosenborg played in the Champions League group stage 11 times between 1995 and 2007. Eight of these were in a row (from 1995 to 2002). This was a record until 2004.

Rosenborg made it past the first group stage of the Champions League twice. In the 1996–97 season, they were almost out. But Milan lost points, setting up a deciding match at San Siro. Rosenborg beat Milan 2–1, knocking the Italian team out. This put Rosenborg in the quarter-finals, where they lost 3–1 to Juventus. In the 1999–2000 season, Rosenborg won their group. This sent them to the second group stage. A memorable game was their 3–0 win away against Borussia Dortmund.

Other great moments include a 2–0 win against Real Madrid and a 5–1 victory over Olympiacos. Both of these happened in the 1997–98 season. However, there were also some tough losses. Rosenborg lost 0–5 to Lyon in 2002. They were also beaten 2–7 by Paris Saint-Germain in 2000.

The Norwegian team didn't qualify in 2003, losing to Deportivo La Coruña. But they qualified again in 2004 after beating Maccabi Haifa. In 2005, they qualified for the tenth time after winning 4–3 against Steaua București.

Rosenborg qualified for the Champions League for the 11th time in 2007. The club played well, getting a 1–1 draw away against Chelsea. They also beat Valencia 2–0 both at home and away.

In July 2009, Rosenborg was knocked out of the UEFA Europa League by Qarabag from Azerbaijan. A year later, in August 2010, Rosenborg was eliminated from the UEFA Champions League. They drew 2–2 with Danish team Copenhagen, but Copenhagen advanced because of the away goals rule.

Changes and Challenges (2003–2012)

At the end of 2002, Nils Arne Eggen retired after many successful years. He was replaced by Åge Hareide. Hareide had led other teams to championships before.

Hareide believed Rosenborg needed to be more focused on defense. This would help them stay ahead in Norway and do better in Europe. He also wanted to bring in new, younger players. In a surprising move, Hareide let go of the popular player Bent Skammelsrud.

Under Hareide, Rosenborg dominated the league in 2003. They lost only three games and finished 14 points ahead of the second-place team. The club won its seventh Double in a row, beating Bodø/Glimt in the cup final. Even though they didn't qualify for the Champions League, it was a great season. It seemed Hareide's changes were working. But 2003 was his only season with the club. He left to coach the Norwegian national team. His assistant, Ola By Rise, took over.

Tough Times (2004–2005)

When Hareide left unexpectedly, the club struggled to continue his plans. Other Norwegian clubs were also getting stronger. Rosenborg was no longer dominating every match. They seemed tired of success.

Rosenborg won the league again in 2004. But they won only because they scored more goals than the second-place team. Ola By Rise's contract was ended in October, even though he led the team to the Champions League. In November, the club announced that Nils Arne Eggen would return as an advisor. Former assistant manager Per Joar Hansen became the new manager.

This plan didn't work well. Rosenborg's 2005 season was mostly a disaster. The club fought to avoid falling into the relegation zone for much of the season. Eggen left his role halfway through, and Per Joar Hansen left in August. Per-Mathias Høgmo became the new manager. His first months were tough, with embarrassing losses and an early exit from the cup. But the team played better late in the season. They stayed in the top league and finished third in their Champions League group. This qualified them for the UEFA Cup.

More Changes (2006–2012)

Kjernen, Rosenborg's supporter group.

Rosenborg's problems continued in early 2006. Halfway through the season, rival team Brann had a big 10-point lead. On July 27, Per-Mathias Høgmo took sick leave, saying he was burned out. Assistant manager Knut Tørum took over. For the third time in three years, an assistant became the main coach. This time, it was a huge success! Rosenborg won eight games in a row, catching up to Brann. On October 22, Rosenborg beat Brann away. This gave them a six-point lead with two games left. The next weekend, Rosenborg beat Viking, winning their 20th league title. On October 31, Per-Mathias Høgmo resigned as manager. Tørum became the permanent manager.

Another resignation came on February 11, 2007. Director Rune Bratseth left, partly because of pressure from the media. He was replaced by Knut Thorbjørn Eggen, son of former manager Nils Arne Eggen.

Despite the good results in 2006, manager Knut Tørum didn't have the same success in 2007. He also had trouble getting along with director Knut Thorbjørn Eggen. This led to his resignation on October 25, 2007. Assistant manager Trond Henriksen took charge for the rest of the season. Rosenborg finished 5th.

After Tørum left, Rosenborg tried to hire Trond Sollied as head coach. Sollied had been a successful coach in Belgium. But after a long process, Sollied turned down the job. On December 28, Rosenborg announced Erik Hamrén as their new coach for 2008. Hamrén started on June 1, 2008. Days before he arrived, Knut Thorbjørn Eggen resigned. Many thought Hamrén wanted full control of the club.

On July 27, 2008, Rosenborg became the first Norwegian team to win a final match in the UEFA Intertoto Cup. They beat Dutch team NAC Breda 2–1. This win put RBK into the 2008–09 UEFA Cup group stage. They didn't win the Intertoto Cup trophy itself, as it goes to the team that goes farthest in the UEFA Cup. In the group stage, Rosenborg finished last. The club also finished a disappointing 5th in the league for the second year in a row.

Before the 2009 season, Hamrén brought in new players, including Rade Prica. At the end of the season, Rosenborg won the league with 69 points. They were 13 points ahead of Molde FK. Rosenborg lost only one league game that season. Molde stopped Rosenborg from winning The Double by beating them 5–0 in the cup quarter-final. But Rosenborg got revenge later by beating Molde in the league to win their 21st title.

On May 20, 2010, it was decided that Nils Arne Eggen would lead Rosenborg for the 2010 season. He took over after Erik Hamrén, who became the manager for the Swedish national team. Erik Hamrén's last match was a 2–1 away win against Viking FK.

On October 24, 2010, Rosenborg won the league for the 22nd time. They beat Tromsø IL 1–0. On November 7, Rosenborg played their last league game against Aalesund. It ended in a 2–2 draw. This meant they went the entire season unbeaten in the league!

Jan Jönsson became head coach for the 2011 season. He led the team for two seasons. Rosenborg finished third in the league and qualified for the Europa League group stage both years. However, the club was not happy with Jönsson's results. He was fired on December 7, 2012.

Back to Basics (2013–2014)

The club looked for a new head coach. Per Joar Hansen was considered, but many fans were not happy. His last time at Lerkendal had not ended well. On December 14, 2012, Per Joar Hansen was confirmed as the new head coach. His goal was to bring Rosenborg back to the top. Hansen's first big change was to switch from Rosenborg's usual 4–4–2 formation to a more attacking 4–3–3. This was the style they played in the 1990s, taking the team "back to the roots."

Hansen's new formation didn't start well. Rosenborg scored only three goals in their first eight pre-season matches. However, by the middle of the season, the team showed great improvement. They did well in the Norwegian Cup. They were 2nd in the league and moved forward in the Europa League qualifiers. They beat Northern Irish Crusaders 2–1 away and 7–2 at home.

But the start of the second half of the season was a shock. Rosenborg was surprisingly beaten by St Johnstone in the Europa League second qualifying round. Frazer Wright's goal gave the Scottish team a memorable 1–0 win in Norway. Then, St Johnstone drew 1–1 at home, winning 2–1 overall.

Rosenborg kept getting points in the league. But they were shocked again when they lost to Tromsø, a team fighting relegation. They finished in 2nd place, one point behind Strømsgodset.

Rosenborg reached the Cup Final against their rival Molde. This was Rosenborg's first Cup Final since 2003. In that year, they beat Bodø/Glimt 3–1. Sadly for Rosenborg, they lost the 2013 final 2–4, even after leading 2–1.

In June 2014, after a disappointing spring, Per Joar Hansen and his assistant were fired. Rosenborg had been knocked out of the Cup early. They also had inconsistent league results and a surprising loss to Sligo Rovers in the Europa League.

Former Rosenborg player and assistant coach Kåre Ingebrigtsen became the temporary coach on July 21, 2014. Sports director Erik Hoftun became his assistant. Rosenborg played poorly in Ingebrigtsen's first few matches. But the team improved, winning nine of their last ten games. They finished 2nd, eleven points behind Molde. Because of his great performance, Ingebrigtsen became the permanent coach on November 20, 2014.

More Success (2015–2018)

Kåre Ingebrigtsen's first big change was to increase the players' training. He wanted the team to perform better. In the previous two seasons, Rosenborg often got tired in the last ten minutes of games. Ingebrigtsen decided to increase training by 40 percent. This helped players finish matches strongly and avoid giving up easy goals. This change worked right away. Rosenborg scored 23 goals and only let in two in their first five pre-season matches.

In the 2015 season, Rosenborg won the league title again. They reached the play-off round in the Europa League. They beat Debrecen 3–2 in the first game in Hungary. Because of Rosenborg's exciting play, more fans came to watch. The average number of spectators increased by 31 percent.

At the end of the season, Rosenborg won their 23rd league title. They finished 12 points ahead of Strømsgodset. On November 22, Rosenborg beat Sarpsborg 08 2–0 in the Cup final. This was their 10th national cup win and their 8th time winning both the league and the cup (The Double).

In 2016, Rosenborg won both the league and the cup again. They became the first team in Norway to win The Double two years in a row! This was Rosenborg's 9th domestic Double.

Team Colors and Badge

The first members of Rosenborg bought their first uniforms in 1918. The shirts were blue with a yellow stripe down the front. The shorts were white. The current white shirts and black shorts were introduced in 1931. They were another tribute to the football club Odd. A sponsor's name was added to the shirts in 1971.

• Home kit: White shirt and black shorts.
• Away kit: Black shirt and black shorts.
• Third kit: Red shirt and red shorts.

Home Stadium

Rosenborg plays its home matches at Lerkendal Stadion. This stadium is located about 3 kilometers south of the city center. It has four large stands with seats for 21,421 fans. Some seats are special club seating and luxury boxes. The stadium is part of Lerkendal idrettspark. This park also has three training fields. Two are full-size, and one has artificial turf. The club's offices are in a building called Brakka, which was built during World War II.

Lerkendal Stadion opened on August 10, 1947. It was the main place for athletics and football in Trondheim. The city owned it. Rosenborg started using Lerkendal in the 1957–58 season. The first big changes to the stadium happened before the 1962 season. The old wooden stands were replaced with concrete stands. The south stand also got a roof. Lights were put in in 1968. This allowed UEFA club tournament matches to be played there. The most people ever at Lerkendal was 28,569. This was for a league match against Lillestrøm in 1985.

After the 1995 season, the first part of the current stadium was built. This made it ready for modern UEFA matches. The short sides were finished in 2001. The last long stand was completed in 2002. Rosenborg and private investors also bought the stadium during this expansion.

Players and Staff

Current Team

No. Position Player 1 GK Sander Tangvik 2 DF Erlend Dahl Reitan 3 DF Jonathan Augustinsson 4 DF Luka Racic 5 MF Moustafa Zeidan (on loan from Malmö) 6 MF Santeri Väänänen 7 MF Markus Henriksen (captain) 9 FW Ole Sæter 10 MF Ole Selnæs (vice-captain) 12 GK Rasmus Sandberg 18 FW Noah Holm 19 DF Adrian Pereira

No. Position Player 20 MF Edvard Tagseth 21 DF Tomáš Nemčík 23 DF Ulrik Yttergård Jenssen 25 DF Adam Andersson 35 FW Emil Konradsen Ceïde (on loan from Sassuolo) 38 DF Mikkel Konradsen Ceïde 39 FW Marius Broholm 41 MF Sverre Nypan 44 FW Magnus Holte 45 FW Jesper Reitan-Sunde 46 FW Noah Sahsah (on loan from Copenhagen) 50 DF Håkon Singsdal Volden

For season transfers, see transfers winter 2023–24 and transfers summer 2024.

Players on Loan

No. Position Player 11 FW Jayden Nelson (at Ulm 1846 until 30 June 2025) 14 MF Emil Frederiksen (at Horsens until 30 June 2025) 16 DF Håkon Røsten (at Ranheim until 31 December 2024)

No. Position Player 17 FW Ísak Þorvaldsson (at Breiðablik until 31 December 2024) 29 FW Oscar Aga (at Fredrikstad until 31 December 2024) 40 MF Paweł Chrupałła (at Sarpsborg 08 until 31 December 2024)

Coaching Staff

Position	Name
Head coach	Alfred Johansson
Assistant coach	Jordi González Alexander Tettey
Sports director	Mikael Dorsin
Goalkeeper coach	Alexander Lund Hansen
Team leader	Jørn Jamtfall
Development leader	Tore Grønning
Osteopath	Ole Lilleås Næss
Physiotherapist	Arve Næss Kjøsnes
Leader of fysmed department	Ulrik Wisløff
Physical trainer	Vetle Veierød
Scout - Top player developer	Trond Henriksen
Material master	Alexander Kopperud
Material assistant	Per Nygaard
Doctor	Julie Nesheim
Mental trainer	Martin Langagergaard
Head of academy	Christer Basma
Reserve team head coach	Roger Naustan
Under-16 head coach	Nils Petter Austad
Under-16 assistant coach	Sarmed Saify
Coach developer and responsibility for role training	Svein Maalen
Training with responsibility for role training	Jonas Lian Hansen
Under-16 goalkeeper coach	Andreas Ørsleie
Physical trainer and physiotherapist	Peder Lindsetmo
Equipment manager	Anders Megård

Club Leaders

Position	Name
Chairman	Cecilie Gotaas Johnsen
Managing director	Tore Bjørseth Berdal
Sports director	Mikael Dorsin

Recent Seasons

Rosenborg in European Games

Rosenborg playing Real Madrid in a friendly match in 2009.

Here are the all-time statistics for Rosenborg's games in the four UEFA tournaments they have played in. This includes qualification matches and is updated as of the 2016–17 season. Goals scored during extra time are also counted.

Updated August 26, 2021

Club Records

Rosenborg's biggest win was 17–0 in a cup match against Buvik in 2003. Their biggest league win was 10–0 against Brann in 1996. In the Champions League, their record win is 6–0 against Helsingborg in 2000. In the league, the team had a record goal difference of 87–20 in 1997. They also earned a record 69 points in 2009. In 2010, they went the entire league season undefeated. Rosenborg was relegated in 1977 after winning only one match all season. The most people ever at a home game was 28,569. This was at Lerkendal Stadion against Lillestrøm in 1985.

Roar Strand has played the most matches for Rosenborg, with 644 games over 21 seasons. He also won the most titles with the club: 16 league titles and 5 cup titles. Harald Martin Brattbakk is the club's all-time top scorer with 256 goals. He was also the league's top scorer in six seasons. Odd Iversen holds the record for most goals in a single match (6) and season (30). The club received its highest transfer fee for John Carew. They got 75 million Norwegian krone when he was sold to Valencia in 2000.

Club Honours

• 1. divisjon / Eliteserien (Top League):
  • Winners (26) (Record): 1967, 1969, 1971, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
  • Runners-up (7): 1968, 1970, 1973, 1989, 1991, 2013, 2014
  • Third place (5): 1981, 2011, 2012, 2019, 2022
• Norwegian Football Cup:
  • Winners (12) (Joint-Record): 1960, 1964, 1971, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2015, 2016, 2018
  • Runners-up (6): 1967, 1972, 1973, 1991, 1998, 2013
• Superfinalen / Mesterfinalen (Super Cup):
  • Winners (3) (Record): 2010, 2017, 2018

European Honours

• UEFA Intertoto Cup:
  • Winners (1): 2008 (joint winner)

Coaches of Rosenborg

Images for kids

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  Rosenborg BK logo

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  Rosenborg playing against Valencia.

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  Kjernen, Rosenborg's supporter group.

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  Rosenborg playing Real Madrid in a friendly match in 2009.

See also

In Spanish: Rosenborg Ballklub para niños