Molde Fotballklubb () is a professional
football club based in
Molde,
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
, that competes in
Eliteserien
Eliteserien () is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotio ...
, the top flight of
Norwegian football
Association football, Football is the most popular sport in Norway in terms of active membership (by television viewership football comes third, behind winter sports biathlon and cross-country skiing (sport), cross-country skiing). The Football A ...
. Founded on 19 June 1911, the club was originally known as International and changed its name to Molde in 1915. Molde are five-time league champions (2011, 2012, 2014, 2019 & 2022) and five-time
Norwegian Cup
The Norwegian Football Cup ( no, Norgesmesterskapet i fotball for herrer) is the main knockout cup competition in Norwegian football. It is run by the Football Association of Norway and has been contested since 1902, making it the oldest football ...
winners (1994, 2005, 2013, 2014 and 2021), and have finished second in the league a further nine times. Molde is one of only two Norwegian clubs to have participated in the
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
.
The club's home matches are played at the 11,249-capacity
Aker Stadion
The Aker Stadion (known as Molde Stadion for UEFA competitions and prior to sponsorship) is an all-seater football stadium located at Reknes in Molde, Norway, and is the home of Eliteserien club Molde. The stadium has a current capacity of 1 ...
.
The stadium was inaugurated in 1998, and was a gift from local businessmen
Kjell Inge Røkke and
Bjørn Rune Gjelsten Bjørn Rune Gjelsten (born 17 September 1956 in Tomrefjord) is a Norwegian businessman and Offshore powerboat racing World Champion. He was also a joint owner of Wimbledon Football Club and involved in the controversial relocation of the team from ...
. The club was formerly based at
Molde stadion, which hosted the club's record attendance of 14,615. Molde's supporter club is called ''Tornekrattet'' ("Thicket of thorns", a reference to the city's nickname "The Town of Roses") and was founded after the
1994 Norwegian Cup final victory. Molde has its strongest rivalry with
Rosenborg.
Until the beginning of the 1970s, the club mainly played in local lower division leagues, except for a short visit in the
Hovedserien
Eliteserien () is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotio ...
in the
1957–58 season. In
1974, Molde was back in the top division and finished second in the league, and have since then become one of Norway's leading clubs and generally stayed in the top division. Molde also finished second in the league in
1987, when the club lost the championship to
Moss in the decisive match of the season.
During the 1990s and the beginning of the 2000s, Molde was the second-best team in Norway (behind 13-times in a row champions
Rosenborg), with league silver medals in
1995,
1998,
1999 and
2002, and cup championships in
1994 and
2005, as well as participation in the UEFA Champions League in the
1999–2000 season, when
Real Madrid,
Porto
Porto or Oporto () is the second-largest city in Portugal, the capital of the Porto District, and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto city proper, which is the entire municipality of Porto, is small compared to its metropol ...
and
Olympiacos
Olympiacós Sýndesmos Filáthlon Peiraiós ( el, Ολυμπιακός Σύνδεσμος Φιλάθλων Πειραιώς, Olympic Club of Fans of Piraeus) is a major multi-sport club based in Piraeus, Greece. Olympiacos is parent to a number ...
visited Molde.
As of 2017, the club has approximately 1,000 members and around 55 teams in three departments.
Erling Moe has been manager of the club since the departure of
Ole Gunnar Solskjær
Ole Gunnar Solskjær (; born 26 February 1973) is a Norwegian professional football manager and former player who played as a forward who last managed Premier League club Manchester United. As a player, Solskjær spent the majority of his car ...
in December 2018; he has been permanent head coach since 29 April 2019.
History
Early years (1911–63)
Molde FK was founded on 19 June 1911 by a group gathered by Klaus Daae Andersen (born 30 September 1873); they named J. Ferdinand Dahl as the inaugural chairman. On a general election on 24 April 1912, it was decided that the club would be named International,
perhaps because the opponents were primarily visitors from cruise ships or trading vessels,
or that it was to make room for the many Danes who worked in the Gideon engine factory.
The same year, on 5 August, the club played its first competitive match, an away match against
Kristiansund
Kristiansund (, ; historically spelled Christianssund and earlier named Fosna) is a municipality on the western coast of Norway in the Nordmøre district of Møre og Romsdal county. The administrative center of the municipality is the town of ...
which ended 2–2.
The rising interest and activity in football in neighbouring towns caused the club to change its name to Molde Fotballklubb in 1915.
The club played its first season in the top division in
1939–40, but the season was abandoned due to the
German occupation
German-occupied Europe refers to the sovereign countries of Europe which were wholly or partly occupied and civil-occupied (including puppet governments) by the military forces and the government of Nazi Germany at various times between 1939 an ...
and was never completed. In the first post-war season in
1947–48, Molde were relegated from the top flight.
The breakthrough (1964–77)
On 2 August 1964, Molde shocked nine-time
Norwegian Cup
The Norwegian Football Cup ( no, Norgesmesterskapet i fotball for herrer) is the main knockout cup competition in Norwegian football. It is run by the Football Association of Norway and has been contested since 1902, making it the oldest football ...
champions and nine-time
Norwegian League Champions Fredrikstad
Fredrikstad (; previously ''Frederiksstad''; literally "Fredrik's Town") is a List of cities in Norway, city and Municipalities of Norway, municipality in Viken (county), Viken Counties of Norway, county, Norway. The administrative centre of the ...
by eliminating them from the
1964 Norwegian Cup in the third round with a 3–2 win at home.
Jan Fuglset
Jan Fuglset (born 1 October 1945) is a Norwegian former professional football player. Fuglset is known as one of the leading goal-scorers in the Norwegian top division with 109 goals from 1967–1982. He is the brother of Tor Fuglset.
Club care ...
,
Torkild Brakstad and
Harry Hestad, amongst others, played at Molde during that period.
The club played in local lower leagues, save for a short visit in the top division in the
1957–58 season. In 1970, Molde was promoted to the
second tier and played there for three seasons until its promotion to the
top flight
Top Flight (April 15, 1929 – 1949) was an American U.S. Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse. She was the leading American filly of her generation at two and three years of age.
Background
Bred in Kentucky by the very prominent horseman Harry ...
with a 5–1 away win against
Sogndal
Sogndal is a municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located on the northern shore of the Sognefjorden in the traditional district of Sogn. The village of Hermansverk is the administrative center of Sogndal municipality. Other villages ...
on 16 September 1973.
In
1974, Molde returned to the premier division following the debut of several talented players in the first team, which coincided with the return of top level players like Fuglset, Brakstad and Hestad. Molde surprised the established clubs in their first season of the
1. divisjon, leading the league in 9 of 22 matchdays. Ahead of the final match of the season, Molde would win the league if they defeated
Sarpsborg
Sarpsborg ( or ), historically Borg, is a city and municipality in Viken county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Sarpsborg.
Sarpsborg is part of the fifth largest urban area in Norway when paired with neigh ...
and
Viking
Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden),
who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...
lost against
Strømsgodset. However, both Molde and Viking won their last match, meaning Molde won the silver medal after finishing one point behind champions Viking.
Since then, Molde has generally stayed in the top division and has become one of Norway's leading clubs. The club has produced a respectable number of national team players, and players who have gone professional in foreign leagues.
Ups and downs (1978–93)
Between 1978 and 1984, Molde did not play on the same level in two consecutive years. Molde was relegated from the 1. divisjon in every even-numbered year, and promoted to back to the first tier in every odd-numbered year, making it three consecutive promotions and relegations. In fact, Molde and
Brann did not play at the same level these years, as Brann were promoted when Molde was relegated and the other way around.
In 1982, Molde played in their first
cup final, despite being relegated from the
1982 1. divisjon
The 1982 1. divisjon was the 38th completed season of top division football in Norway.
Overview
22 games were played with 2 points given for wins and 1 for draws. Number eleven and twelve were relegated. The winners of the two groups of the 2. ...
. They lost the
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
* Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of con ...
at
Ullevaal Stadion
Ullevaal Stadion () is an all-seater football stadium located in Oslo, Norway. It is the home ground of the Norway national football team, and the site of the Norwegian Cup Final. From its opening in 1926 to 2009 it was the home ground of FK ...
3–2 against Brann.
The
1987 season was the closest Molde came to winning the league championship before winning it in 2011, when a draw at home against
Moss in the final round would have ensured the title. Despite numerous goal scoring opportunities, Moss won the match 2–0 at
Molde stadium, thus winning the league championship, while Molde won their second silver medal.
The attendance of 14,615 set the record at the old Molde stadion.
Molde played their second cup final in
1989. The first match against Viking ended in a 2–2 draw, and the subsequent replay was won 2–1 by Viking.
When Molde again was relegated from the Norwegian top flight in
1993, the club was in major economic difficulties following a number of projects, the most notably of which was an extension of the main stand at Molde stadion.
Local businessmen
Kjell Inge Røkke and
Bjørn Rune Gjelsten Bjørn Rune Gjelsten (born 17 September 1956 in Tomrefjord) is a Norwegian businessman and Offshore powerboat racing World Champion. He was also a joint owner of Wimbledon Football Club and involved in the controversial relocation of the team from ...
started to invest in the club, and since 1993 they have invested approximately on old debts, new players and the
new stadium.
The silver generation (1994–2000)
Åge Hareide was the main coach of Molde in 1994, when they finished second in their
1. divisjon group and was thus re-promoted to Tippeligaen. Molde also met their main rivals
Rosenborg in the semi-final of the
1994 Norwegian Cup, and with 4–3 win on aggregate, Molde qualified for their third cup final. After having lost to Molde, Rosenborg head coach
Nils Arne Eggen
Nils Arne Eggen (17 September 1941 – 19 January 2022) was a Norwegian footballer, manager and teacher from Orkdal. Eggen was closely tied to Rosenborg, the club he managed for 23 years between 1970 and 2010. He is Norway's most successful clu ...
called Molde's playing style "arse-football" ("''rævvafotball''"). Molde won their first title by defeating
Lyn 3–2 at
Ullevaal Stadium
Ullevaal Stadion () is an all-seater football stadium located in Oslo, Norway. It is the home ground of the Norway national football team, and the site of the Norwegian Cup Final. From its opening in 1926 to 2009 it was the home ground of ...
in Oslo.
![Ole G Solskjaer](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Ole_G_Solskjaer.jpg)
During the
1995 season, Molde became known for their three strikers:
Ole Gunnar Solskjær
Ole Gunnar Solskjær (; born 26 February 1973) is a Norwegian professional football manager and former player who played as a forward who last managed Premier League club Manchester United. As a player, Solskjær spent the majority of his car ...
,
Arild Stavrum and
Ole Bjørn Sundgot. In their first league match, Molde won 6–0 against Brann in
Bergen
Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula o ...
, with Solskjær scoring two goals and Stavrum and Sundgot also contributing in one of Brann's heaviest-ever losses at home. With six-straight wins, Molde stayed in the top two positions of the league throughout the season, but eventually finished second, 15 points behind Rosenborg.
Solskjær scored 31 goals in 42 matches for Molde and was sold to
Manchester United on 29 July 1996 as Molde finished in eighth position that season. In 1997, Molde finished fourth in the league, and
Erik Brakstad replaced Åge Hareide as head coach ahead of the 1998 season.
In 1998, Molde played their first 21 matches without losing, a Norwegian record until 2009, when Rosenborg went 26 matches undefeated.
In the 22nd round, Molde lost against
Vålerenga
Vålerenga () is a neighbourhood in the city of Oslo, Norway, belonging to the borough of Gamle Oslo. Vålerenga is located between the neighbourhoods of Gamlebyen, Jordal, Ensjø, Etterstad and Lodalen. Vålerenga is in particular known for it ...
while Rosenborg defeated
Kongsvinger
Kongsvinger () is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Glåmdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kongsvinger. Other settlements in the municipality include Aus ...
to surpass Molde at the top of the table. Rosenborg player
Mini Jakobsen subsequently said, "It was fun as long as you managed to keep up. Thank you for helping to create tension in the Premier League!" On 26 September 1998, Rosenborg won 2–0 against Molde in the 23rd round and won the championship, with Molde settling for second place.
In 1999, Molde had a successful season, finishing second in the league and reaching the semi-final of the
1999 Norwegian Cup, where they were eliminated by Brann. Molde also participated in the
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
, where Molde was drawn against
CSKA Moscow
CSKA Moscow (russian: ЦСКА Москва) is a Russian sports club based in Moscow. It was created in 1911 in the Russian Empire on base of OLLS (Skiing Society, founded 1901). Later, during the Soviet era, it was a central piece of the big So ...
in the
second qualifying round
The second (symbol: s) is the unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), historically defined as of a day – this factor derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes and finally to 60 seconds each ...
. In the first match in Moscow, Molde lost 2–0, while in the second leg, 19-year-old
Magne Hoseth
Magne Hoseth (born Magne Hoset on 13 October 1980) is a Norwegian football coach and former footballer who played for Averøykameratene, Molde (two times), Copenhagen, Viking, Aalesund, Stabæk, Notodden and Kristiansund. On 21. November 2022 ...
had his big break-through with two goals when CSKA was defeated 4–0 to send Molde to the third qualifying round, where they met
Mallorca. The first leg against Mallorca ended 0–0 at home. Away at Mallorca were Molde one goal behind for a long time, but
Andreas Lund
Torkjell Andreas Lund (born 7 May 1975), known as Andreas Lund, is a Norwegian former footballer who played as a striker.
Club career
Lund had a successful career in Norway and scoring 55 league goals in 96 matches for IK Start and Molde FK. F ...
became the big hero when he equalized on a penaltyin the 84th minute. With a 1–1 aggregate score, Molde qualified for the group stage on away goals,
and Molde became the team from the smallest city to have qualified for the group stage of Champions League until
Unirea Urziceni
Asociația Sportivă Fotbal Club Urziceni, commonly known as FC Urziceni (), is a Romanian professional football club based in Urziceni, Ialomița County which currently plays in fourth division, Ialomița County. Unirea became national champion ...
repeated the feat in
2009–10. In the group stage, Molde were drawn against
Real Madrid,
Porto
Porto or Oporto () is the second-largest city in Portugal, the capital of the Porto District, and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto city proper, which is the entire municipality of Porto, is small compared to its metropol ...
and
Olympiacos
Olympiacós Sýndesmos Filáthlon Peiraiós ( el, Ολυμπιακός Σύνδεσμος Φιλάθλων Πειραιώς, Olympic Club of Fans of Piraeus) is a major multi-sport club based in Piraeus, Greece. Olympiacos is parent to a number ...
, and with one win and five losses, Molde finished last in their group. On the occasion of Molde's 100-year anniversary in 2011, the readers of the local newspaper ''
Romsdals Budstikke
''Romsdals Budstikke'' is a daily (except Sundays) newspaper published in Molde, Norway.
History and profile
''Romsdals Budstikke'' was established in 1843. Politically the paper is liberal and used to be a newspaper for the Liberal Party, but h ...
'' voted 1999 as the best year in the history of the club.
From "Gunder method" to relegation (2001–2006)
On 6 November 2000, after the sacking of Erik Brakstad,
Gunder Bengtsson
Gunder Bengtsson (2 February 1946 – 2 August 2019) was a Swedish football coach.
Career
Bengtsson started his career as assistant coach under Sven-Göran Eriksson at IFK Göteborg. In 1982, after Eriksson won the UEFA Cup 1981–82 and ...
was announced head coach for two years. After one season, Bengtsson and his assistant
Kalle Björklund
Kalle is a masculine given name of North Germanic origin, a variation of Karl. In Sweden, people named Karl are commonly nicknamed Kalle. The name is also found in Finland and Estonia Notable people with the name include:
Given name
* Kalle An ...
were signed for three more years. In 2002, Gunder Bengtsson led Molde to second place in the league, but like when he won the league with Vålerenga in 1983 and 1984, there was not much enthusiasm around the club's sixth silver medal because of the defensive tactics and lack of local players in the squad.
In the first six matches of the
2003 season
3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societie ...
, Molde collected five points. On 22 May 2003, Bengtsson was fired and replaced by
Odd Berg. In the third round of
2003 Norwegian Cup, Molde were eliminated by second-tier club
Skeid. Despite the change in the coaching staff, Molde was struggling in the relegation zone throughout the season, but after a 3–2 win away against Sogndal in the last match of the season, Molde avoided the relegation playoffs. In 2004, the team led by
Reidar Vågnes, former assistant coach under Erik Brakstad, but Molde only managed 11th place, four points clear of relegation.
In 2005,
Bo Johansson
Bo "Bosse" Johansson (born 28 November 1942) is a Swedish former football player and current football coach.
Biography
Johansson was a player for fourteen years with Kalmar FF and Lindsdals IF, though he did not win any trophies as a player. In ...
became head coach of Molde, and on 15 June 2005, Molde won 3–2 against
Nybergsund
Nybergsund is a village in the municipality of Trysil in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located about south of the village of Innbygda which is the municipal centre of Trysil. The village is best known for serving as a hiding place for the Nor ...
to qualify for the fourth round of the Norwegian Cup, having lost in the third round for three consecutive years. Molde finished 12th in the league and had to play in the relegation playoff against Moss, which Molde won 5–2 on aggregate. Molde won their second Norwegian Cup title on 6 November 2005 when they won 4–2 after extra time against
Lillestrøm
Lillestrøm is a municipality in Viken county. It is located in the traditional district of Romerike. With a population of 85,757 inhabitants, it is the fourth most populated municipality in Viken. It was founded on 1 January 2020 as a merger be ...
in the
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
* Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of con ...
. Bo Johansson left Molde after only one season with the club, and on Christmas Eve,
Arild Stavrum was announced as the new head coach.
Following the Norwegian Cup champions, Molde played in the
2006–07 UEFA Cup. On 25 August 2006, they were drawn to face Scottish giants
Rangers in the first round. They were eliminated 2–0 on aggregate after holding Rangers to a 0–0 draw at the Aker Stadion. The same year, Molde was relegated, having been in the relegation zone for the last four seasons. The relegation became final after losing 8–0 against
Stabæk at
Nadderud
Nadderud is a district in eastern Bærum, Norway. It was formerly farmland under one of Bærum's larger farms, named Nadderud, but since the 1950s it has been built up with housing, several schools and sporting facilities. The best known facility, ...
in the second-last match of the season. Arild Stavrum was fired at the end of the season.
A new era (2007–present)
In December 2006,
Kjell Jonevret
Kjell Jonevret (born 28 June 1962) is a Swedish football coach and a former player.
Managerial career
Jonevret managed Djurgårdens IF between 2004 and 2006. During his time in Djurgården, he led his team to the double, winning both the Allsv ...
became head coach after Stavrum was fired, though
Ove Christensen was the club's first choice. With Jonevret as coach, Molde won the
2007 1. divisjon and was again promoted back to the top flight. After the promotion to Tippeligaen, Molde recorded a 5–1 win against Vålerenga on the last day of
Moldejazz
Molde International Jazz Festival (MIJF) or Moldejazz (established 1961 in Molde) takes place annually in July, and is known as one of the oldest jazz festivals in Europe. It was initiated by the local Storyville Jazz Club. Since 1964 it has re ...
2008, as well as eliminating Brann from the cup with an impressive 8–0 win at home four days later. Regardless of these strong results, Molde finished ninth in their comeback season in the top flight.
In the 2009 season, Molde was again the second-best team in Norway, behind champions Rosenborg, who that season overtook Molde's 1998 unbeaten streak record.
Conversely, Molde ruined Rosenborg's march for a possible double with a 5–0 win at Aker Stadion in the quarter-final of the
2009 Norwegian Cup. In the
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
* Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of con ...
, Molde met their local rivals
Aalesunds FK
Aalesunds Fotballklubb, commonly known as Aalesund or AaFK, is a Norwegian football club from the town of Ålesund, that competes in the Eliteserien, the first tier of the Norwegian football league system. The club was founded on 25 June 1914. ...
, where Aalesund won the Norwegian Championship on penalty shoot-out after the score ended 2–2
after extra time
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw where the scores are the same. In some sports, this extra period is played onl ...
. After collecting only 20 points during the first 22 matches in the
2010 Tippeligaen, Jonevret was sacked and replaced by
Uwe Rösler
Uwe Rösler (; born 15 November 1968) is a German football manager and former professional footballer.
As a player he was a centre forward, notably playing in the Premier League for Manchester City, where he was the leading goalscorer for thr ...
. Under Röslers management, Molde collected 20 points in the last eight matches and avoided relegation. Despite the poor performance by the team,
Baye Djiby Fall, who spent the season on loan from
Lokomotiv Moscow
FC Lokomotiv Moscow (''FC Lokomotiv Moskva'', russian: link=no, Футбольный клуб "Локомотив" Москва, ) is a Russian professional football club based in Moscow. Lokomotiv have won the Russian Premier League on three oc ...
, became the first Molde player since Jan Fuglset in 1976 to be the
top goalscorer in Eliteserien.
Prior to the club's 100-year anniversary in 2011, former Molde and Manchester United player
Ole Gunnar Solskjær
Ole Gunnar Solskjær (; born 26 February 1973) is a Norwegian professional football manager and former player who played as a forward who last managed Premier League club Manchester United. As a player, Solskjær spent the majority of his car ...
returned to Molde to manage the club. In the opening match of
2011 Tippeligaen, his first competitive match, Molde lost 3–0 away against newly promoted
Sarpsborg 08
Sarpsborg 08 Fotballforening, commonly known as Sarpsborg 08 or simply Sarpsborg (), is a Norwegian football club based in Sarpsborg, playing in Eliteserien. Sarpsborg 08 and its predecessors played in 1. divisjon from 2005 to 2010. In 2010, the ...
. On 19 June 2011, Molde celebrated their anniversary with a 2–0 win against Sogndal and positioned themselves at the top of the league table. Molde was leading the league until they eventually won their first championship on 30 October 2011, when Rosenborg, the only team that could mathematically have still beaten them to first place with two matches remaining, lost 6–3 at home to Brann. Molde successfully defended their title in 2012 by beating
Hønefoss
__NOTOC__
Hønefoss is a town and the administrative center of the municipality of Ringerike in Buskerud county, Norway. Hønefoss is an industrial center of inner Østlandet, containing several factories and other industry. As of 1 January 2008 ...
1–0 on 11 November, with one match remaining in the season. Although Molde could only finish sixth behind champions Strømgodset in the 2013 Tippeligaen, they defeated Rosenborg 4–2 in the
2013 Norwegian Cup final on 24 November to win the Norwegian Cup for the third time in their history. Ole Gunnar Solskjær left the club to sign for
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Fo ...
side
Cardiff City on 2 January 2014.
Under new manager
Tor Ole Skullerud
Tor Ole Skullerud (born 10 December 1970) is a Norwegian football manager and former player.
Club career
Skullerud was born Kongsvinger, Norway. He played for hometown club Kongsvinger IL, before turning out for Ready, Frigg, Grue IL, and Ull ...
, Molde won their first domestic league and cup double in 2014, however Skullerud was fired in August 2015 due to a run of mediocre results and Solskjær (whose run at Cardiff lasted just nine months) was brought back to the team. On 19 December 2018 Solskjær left the club to join Manchester United as caretaker manager, with club director
Øystein Neerland stating that Solskjær left on a loan deal for the remainder of the season. However, Solskjær was signed permanently by Manchester United in March 2019 and Molde's caretaker manager Erling Moe got the manager job on a permanent basis on 29 April. Moe led Molde to their fourth league title in his first full season in charge.
Kit
Molde's club colours are blue shirts, white shorts and white socks,
which has become the standard Molde FK home kit. Molde's traditional away colours are the same as for the home kit, but in the opposite order; white shirts, blue shorts and blue socks. All-blue home kits and all-white away kits has been common for Molde to use in European games.
Molde's first shirt sponsor,
Opel, agreed for the 1980 season. Following that, several short-term deals was made before a long-term deal was signed with G-Sport in 1992. In 1999, Molde ended their contract with G-Sport and were sponsored by Commit for three seasons.
Sparebanken Møre became their shirt sponsor in 2003, a deal first renewed in 2007 worth
NOK
Nok is a village in Jaba Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria. The village is an archeological site.
Archaeology
The discovery of terracotta figurines at this location caused its name to be used for the Nok culture, of which these ...
20 million over a five-year period. In 2016, the club once again renewed their sponsorship with the savings bank, signing a deal until 2019. In February 2020, Molde and Sparebanken Møre announced that they had agreed to a deal until the end of the 2022 season.
For twelve years in the beginning of the 21st century, from 2002 to the end of 2013, Molde's shirts were supplied by
Umbro
Umbro is an English sports equipment manufacturer founded in 1924 in Wilmslow, Cheshire and based in Manchester. They specialise in football and rugby sportswear featuring their ''Double Diamond'' logo. Umbro products are marketed in over 10 ...
. In December 2013, Molde signed a four-year deal with Nike starting January 2014.
Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors
Stadiums
![Moldestadion](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/Moldestadion.jpg)
Molde's current stadium is the Aker Stadion, formerly known as Molde Stadion, located at Reknes, by the seashore of central Molde. The cost was mostly paid for by investor
Kjell Inge Røkke, after whom the ground has been nicknamed "''Røkkeløkka''". The official name of the new stadium was Molde Stadion until 3 May 2006, when the stadium name changed to Aker Stadion following a sponsorship deal with Røkke's company
Aker. The stadium was inaugurated on 18 April 1998, when the stadium was officially opened by
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
and Molde fan
Kjell Magne Bondevik
Kjell Magne Bondevik (; born 3 September 1947) is a Norwegian Lutheran minister and politician. As leader of the Christian Democratic Party, he served as the 33rd prime minister of Norway from 1997 to 2000, and from 2001 to 2005, making him, af ...
.
In the opening match, Molde defeated Lillestrøm 4–0 in their first home match of the season, attracting 13,010 spectators.
Tommy Berntsen scored the first goal on Aker Stadion with an own goal, while
Daniel Berg Hestad
Daniel Berg Hestad (born 30 July 1975) is a Norwegian football manager and a former player, who played as a central midfielder, most notably for Molde. He is the manager of Molde 2 and the Under-19 squad of Molde. With 666 official appearances, ...
was the first Molde player to score a goal at the new stadium. The all-time attendance record was set on 26 September when Molde hosted Rosenborg in front of 13,308 people. When Molde qualified for the
1999–2000 UEFA Champions League group stage, the stadium was converted to an all-seater, with seats being installed on the lower sections of the short end stands. This reduced the attendance capacity permanently because the club chose not to remove the seats afterwards. Today the capacity of Aker Stadion is 11,249.
Before moving to Aker Stadion in the beginning of the 1998 season, Molde had been playing their home matches at
Molde Idrettspark
Molde idrettspark, until 1998 known as Molde stadion, is a multi-purpose stadium located in Molde, Norway. It serves as the home ground for the athletics team IL Molde-Olymp and the football clubs SK Træff and reserve and development teams of ...
(at the time called Molde stadion), a municipal-owned multi-use venue, since 1955. Molde Idrettspark was inaugurated on 28 August 1955, when
Kristiansund
Kristiansund (, ; historically spelled Christianssund and earlier named Fosna) is a municipality on the western coast of Norway in the Nordmøre district of Møre og Romsdal county. The administrative center of the municipality is the town of ...
was defeated 1–0.
About 2,500 spectators attended the inaugural match.
The first top-tier league match was played here on 28 July 1957, when Molde managed a 1–1 draw against
Sandefjord
Sandefjord () is a city and the most populous municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. The municipality of Sandefjord was established on 1 January 1838. The municipality of Sandar was merged into Sandefjord on 1 January 1969. On 1 ...
in the first round of
1957–58 Norwegian Main League.
When Molde earned a promotion to the
1974 1. divisjon, the main stand was expanded.
The unsurpassed record attendance at Molde Idrettspark is 14,615 in a match against Moss in 1987.
Today, Molde Idrettspark is used by
Træff and
Molde 2.
Support
Molde's supporter club is Tornekrattet (
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
: "The thicket of thorns"). The name Tornekrattet is a reference to the city's nickname "Rosenes by" (English: "The Town of Roses") and was founded after the
1994 Norwegian Football Cup Final victory.
Rivalries
Molde has their strongest rivalry with Rosenborg. Other rivals are
Møre og Romsdal neighbours
Aalesund and
Kristiansund
Kristiansund (, ; historically spelled Christianssund and earlier named Fosna) is a municipality on the western coast of Norway in the Nordmøre district of Møre og Romsdal county. The administrative center of the municipality is the town of ...
.
The rivalry with Rosenborg arises from the numerous times the two teams have battled for the Eliteserien title. With 29 titles between them, this fixture has become known as one of the finest Eliteserien match-ups.
Players
Current squad
''For season transfers, see
2022 Molde FK season
The 2022 in Norwegian football, 2022 season was Molde FK, Molde's 15th consecutive year in Eliteserien, and their 46th season in the top flight of Football in Norway, Norwegian football. Molde finished the season as Champions of the Eliteserien an ...
.''
Out on loan
Reserves
Former players
Player records
''All current players are in bold''
Most matches played
The following is a list of the ten Molde players with the most appearances in the ''top division''.
Last updated: 7 August 2022
Most goals scored
The following is a list of the twelve Molde players who have scored the most ''top division'' goals.
Last updated: 10 August 2022
Player of the season
Club officials
Club directors
Coaching staff
Medical and sport science staff
Honours
Molde are one of the most successful clubs in Norway in terms of trophies won. The club's first trophy was the
Norwegian Cup
The Norwegian Football Cup ( no, Norgesmesterskapet i fotball for herrer) is the main knockout cup competition in Norwegian football. It is run by the Football Association of Norway and has been contested since 1902, making it the oldest football ...
, which it won in 1994. In 2011, the club won its first league title, and won its first double in 2014.
Domestic
League
;First tier
*
Eliteserien
Eliteserien () is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotio ...
[1. divisjon was the name of the top tier of Norwegian league football from 1963 until 1990. The top tier changed its name to the sponsor-affiliated name ''Tippeligaen'' ahead of the 1990 season. The second tier formerly known as 2. divisjon inherited the name 1. divisjon ahead of the 1991 season. The third tier, formerly known as 3. divisjon was named ]2. divisjon
The Norwegian Second Division, also called 2. divisjon and often referred to as PostNord-ligaen for sponsorship reasons, is the third-highest level of the Norwegian football league system.
There are 28 teams divided into two groups, and at the ...
ahead of the 1991 season and the names of all the lower divisions were adjusted accordingly. Effecting 2017, the top tier is named Eliteserien.
**Champions (5):
2011,
2012,
2014,
2019,
2022
**Runners-up (11):
1974,
1987,
1995,
1998,
1999,
2002,
2009,
2017,
2018,
2020,
2021
**Third (3):
1977,
1988,
1990
;Second tier
*1. divisjon
**Winners (3): 1937–38, 1938–39, 1948–49
*
Landsdelsserien (Møre)
**Winners (3):
1953–54,
1955–56,
1956–57
*
2. divisjon
The Norwegian Second Division, also called 2. divisjon and often referred to as PostNord-ligaen for sponsorship reasons, is the third-highest level of the Norwegian football league system.
There are 28 teams divided into two groups, and at the ...
/
1. divisjon[
**Winners (3): 1973, 1983, 2007
;Third tier
*]3. divisjon
The Norwegian Third Division, also called 3. divisjon, is the fourth highest division of the men's football league in Norway. Like the rest of the Norwegian football league system, the season runs from spring to autumn, running approximately from ...
(Møre)
**Winners (2): 1969, 1970
Cup
*Norwegian Cup
The Norwegian Football Cup ( no, Norgesmesterskapet i fotball for herrer) is the main knockout cup competition in Norwegian football. It is run by the Football Association of Norway and has been contested since 1902, making it the oldest football ...
:
**Winners (5): 1994, 2005, 2013, 2014, 2021–22
**Runners-up (3): 1982, 1989, 2009
Doubles
*League and Cup: 2014
Non-official
*La Manga Cup
La Manga Cup is a winter football tournament played in La Manga Club, La Manga del Mar Menor (Murcia, Spain). Usual participants are clubs from countries with a summer football season: Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Russia, Ukraine
Uk ...
:
**Winners (1): 2010
Records
Source:
European history
The following is a list of the all-time statistics from Molde's games in the three UEFA tournaments the club has participated in, as well as the overall total. The list contains the tournament, the number of games played (Pld), won (W), drawn (D) and lost (L). The number of goals scored (GF), goals against (GA), goal difference (GD) and the percentage of matches won (Win%). The statistics include qualification matches and is up to date as of the match against Gent
Gent is a shortened form of the word gentleman. It may also refer to:
* Ghent (Dutch language, Dutch: Gent), a Belgian city
** K.A.A. Gent, a football club from Ghent
** K.R.C. Gent, a football club from Ghent
** Gent RFC, a rugby club in Ghen ...
on 3 November 2022.
Recent history
List of Molde managers
* Arne Legernes
Arne Legernes (18 May 1931 – 14 August 2022) was a Norwegian footballer, who played as a midfielder.
He played for Molde, making his senior debut in 1948. His brothers Odd, Bjørn and Tore also played for the club. Because of electrical en ...
(player-manager) and Gunnar Talsethagen (1956–1957)
* Charlie Pohl (1958)
* Gunnar Talsethagen (1959–1961)
* Ulf Møller (1962)
* Gunnar Talsethagen (1963–1968)
* Harry Hestad and Torkild Brakstad (both player-managers) (1969)
* Torkild Brakstad (player-manager) (1970–71)
* Harry Hestad and Torkild Brakstad (both player-managers) (1972)
* Jan Fuglset
Jan Fuglset (born 1 October 1945) is a Norwegian former professional football player. Fuglset is known as one of the leading goal-scorers in the Norwegian top division with 109 goals from 1967–1982. He is the brother of Tor Fuglset.
Club care ...
(player-manager) (1973)
* Joseph Hooley (7 January 1974 – 19 May 1974)
* Torkild Brakstad, Jan Fuglset and Harry Hestad (all player-managers) (1974)
* Jack Johnsen (1975)
* Torkild Brakstad and Jan Fuglset (both player-managers) (1976)
* Huib Ruygrook (1 March 1977 – 1979)
* Torkild Brakstad (4 January 1980 – 31 December 1981)
* Jan Fuglset (player-manager) (11 January 1982 – 21 July 1984)
* Joseph Hooley (22 July 1984 – 31 December 1984)
* Hans Backe
Hans Roland "Hasse" Backe (; born 14 February 1952) is a Swedish football manager and former player who most recently led Finland's national team. Prior to this he managed the New York Red Bulls.
He has coached clubs in Sweden, Norway, Greece, ...
(7 January 1985 – 31 December 1985)
* Åge Hareide
Åge Fridtjof Hareide (born 23 September 1953) is a Norwegian football manager and player, currently managing Malmö FF as the interim manager. In his playing career, he played for Hødd and Molde in Norway as well as Manchester City and Norwich ...
and Harry Hestad (4 January 1986 – 31 December 1989)
* Åge Hareide
Åge Fridtjof Hareide (born 23 September 1953) is a Norwegian football manager and player, currently managing Malmö FF as the interim manager. In his playing career, he played for Hødd and Molde in Norway as well as Manchester City and Norwich ...
(5 January 1990 – 18 August 1991)
* Ulrich Møller (caretaking player-manager) (18 August 1991 – 31 December 1991)
* Jan Fuglset and Ulrich Møller (player-manager) (1 January 1992 – 31 December 1993)
* Åge Hareide (1 January 1994 – 31 December 1997)
* Erik Brakstad (1 January 1998 – 31 October 2000)
* Gunder Bengtsson
Gunder Bengtsson (2 February 1946 – 2 August 2019) was a Swedish football coach.
Career
Bengtsson started his career as assistant coach under Sven-Göran Eriksson at IFK Göteborg. In 1982, after Eriksson won the UEFA Cup 1981–82 and ...
(1 January 2001 – 22 May 2003)
* Odd Berg (caretaker) (22 May 2003 – 31 December 2003)
* Reidar Vågnes (1 January 2004 – 5 March 2005)
* Bo Johansson
Bo "Bosse" Johansson (born 28 November 1942) is a Swedish former football player and current football coach.
Biography
Johansson was a player for fourteen years with Kalmar FF and Lindsdals IF, though he did not win any trophies as a player. In ...
(18 March 2005 – 31 December 2005)
* Arild Stavrum (1 January 2006 – 8 November 2006)
* Kjell Jonevret
Kjell Jonevret (born 28 June 1962) is a Swedish football coach and a former player.
Managerial career
Jonevret managed Djurgårdens IF between 2004 and 2006. During his time in Djurgården, he led his team to the double, winning both the Allsv ...
(1 January 2007 – 30 August 2010)
* Uwe Rösler
Uwe Rösler (; born 15 November 1968) is a German football manager and former professional footballer.
As a player he was a centre forward, notably playing in the Premier League for Manchester City, where he was the leading goalscorer for thr ...
(interim) (31 August 2010 – 31 December 2010)
* Ole Gunnar Solskjær
Ole Gunnar Solskjær (; born 26 February 1973) is a Norwegian professional football manager and former player who played as a forward who last managed Premier League club Manchester United. As a player, Solskjær spent the majority of his car ...
(10 January 2011 – 2 January 2014)
* Tor Ole Skullerud
Tor Ole Skullerud (born 10 December 1970) is a Norwegian football manager and former player.
Club career
Skullerud was born Kongsvinger, Norway. He played for hometown club Kongsvinger IL, before turning out for Ready, Frigg, Grue IL, and Ull ...
(13 January 2014 – 6 August 2015)
* Erling Moe (caretaker) (7 August 2015 – 21 October 2015)
* Ole Gunnar Solskjær
Ole Gunnar Solskjær (; born 26 February 1973) is a Norwegian professional football manager and former player who played as a forward who last managed Premier League club Manchester United. As a player, Solskjær spent the majority of his car ...
(21 October 2015 – 18 December 2018)
* Erling Moe (19 December 2018 – Present)
History of league positions (since 1963)
Molde played in the top tier and appeared among the championship contestants in 1947–48 and 1957–58, but the league was differently organized at the top levels until 1963.
Footnotes
References
External links
Molde F.K.
MFKWeb – Frequently updated independent supporter site
Tornekrattet supporter club – formerly official, now independent
{{Authority control
Association football clubs established in 1911
1911 establishments in Norway
Football clubs in Norway
Eliteserien clubs
Sport in Molde