Bjarne Berntsen
Thursday 17 January 2008
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Bjarne Berntsen (©Getty Images)
Date of birth: 21 December 1956
Playing career: Figgjo IL, Viking FK
Coaching career: Figgjo IL, Bryne FK, Viking FK, Norway women
Bjarne Berntsen was a surprise choice to follow the popular Åge Steen when the former Norway coach stood down a few months before UEFA WOMEN'S EURO 2005™, but the former international defender, with no experience of the women's game, immediately led the team to their first final since winning 2000 Olympic gold.
Having begun his playing career at local club Figgjo IL, Berntsen signed for Viking FK aged 20 in 1977 and went on to make more than 130 appearances in the next five years, as well as winning 33 Norway caps, most notably in the 2-1 win against England in September 1981. After ending his playing career, Berntsen returned to Figgjo to coach before his appointment by Bryne FK, whom he led to the 1987 Norwegian Cup, their only major honour. In this period, he also assisted national coach Tor Røste Fossen.
Berntsen returned to Viking in 1989 in a directorial role before being made coach between 1992 and 1995. He was then back at the club in 1999 as CEO until a reorganisation in 2004, previous to which he had acted as caretaker coach. But, at the end of the year, he was announced as Steen's replacement from 1 January 2005.
After success in England, where they beat Sweden in the last four before losing to Germany in Blackburn, Norway went on to reach the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup semi-finals and the quarter-finals at the 2008 Olympics, having begun by inflicting a rare defeat on the United States, who went on to win gold. Shortly afterwards, Norway confirmed their place at UEFA WOMEN'S EURO 2009™.
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