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FOOTBALL EUROPE: Size matters in Norwegian football

/noticias.info/ A move to expand the Norwegian top flight from 14 to 16 teams has been met with enthusiasm – although some believe that an 18-club Tippeligaen is the ideal.

Format agreed
The new season kicked off on 29/30 March with the Norwegian Football Association (NFF) having reached agreement with the 14 competing clubs on the format for the transitional 2008 campaign. Only the bottom side will be relegated, with the top three in the second division going up and a play-off taking place between the Tippeligaen's 13th-placed team and the fourth-placed side in the second tier.

Homegrown talent
The initial proposal had been for no relegation at all this term, yet Norway coach Åge Hareide was among a number of concerned parties who felt that this would rob the league of its competitive edge. "This is the right move," said NFF president Sondre Kåfjord of the new arrangement. "We hope that an increase in clubs will further enhance the top sides' income, and we also see this as an opportunity to develop more young players."

Foreign invasion
Recent campaigns have witnessed tight battles for the top and bottom places, with the amount at stake persuading clubs to bring in tried-and-tested foreign talent rather than take risks with homegrown youngsters. Such a policy was not welcomed by former Norway coach Nils Johan Semb, who said: "There are about 110 foreign players in the top division. We could do without about 50 of them. They are just standing in the way of local talent."

Further expansion
More Tippeligaen teams, the argument goes, will mean more openings for local players, and Norsk Toppfotball – the organisation representing the interests of all clubs in the top two divisions – say there should be even more sides competing at the highest level. "We feel that 18 is the correct number of clubs for Norway's élite league. We now have enough quality in Norwegian football for this to work," said Norsk Toppfotball director Niels Røine.

First-day hat-trick
The first round of the season proved to be a good one for defending champions SK Brann. Eliminated from the UEFA Cup in the Round of 32, they won 4-2 at home against Fredrikstad FK in their opening game with Norway striker Thorstein Helstad setting the goalscoring pace with a hat-trick. notas_de_prensa_archivo