Ståle Solbakken
Encyclopedia
Ståle Solbakken is a Norwegian
football
coach and a former player. He was named 2004 Norwegian Manager of the Year, and has won five Danish Superliga
championships with Copenhagen.
In his playing career, Solbakken was named 1995 Norwegian midfielder of the year, and he won the Danish Superliga championship with both Aalborg BK and Copenhagen. He played 58 matches and scored nine goals for the Norwegian national team during the end of the 1990s, and represented Norway at the 1998 World Cup
and 2000 European Championship
tournaments. He ended his active career in March 2001 following a heart attack
.
, with whom he won promotion
for the top-flight Tippeligaen
championship in 1991. He went on to Tippeligaen rivals Lillestrøm
in 1994, and was subsequently called up for the Norwegian national team
. He won the 1995 Kniksen award as Norwegian midfielder of the year. He had a short stay abroad at English
club Wimbledon
in 1997. In his six league games for Wimbledon, Solbakken scored one goal against West Ham and was twice named "man of the match
", but he fell out with team manager Joe Kinnear
and was banned from club training shortly thereafter.
He was sold to Danish
side Aalborg BK (AaB) the same year. While playing at AaB, Solbakken represented Norway at the international 1998 World Cup
and 2000 European Championship
tournaments. Solbakken became AaB's undisputed team leader, and guided the club to the 1999 Danish Superliga
championship, as well as the final of the 1999 Danish Cup
tournament. He was awarded as player of the year in Danish football in 2000. He played 79 games and scored 13 goals for AaB in the Superliga from March 1998 to August 2000.
Solbakken let it be known that he wanted a move to a bigger league, but he was eventually sold to Danish league rivals Copenhagen
. His career ended there following a heart attack
in March 2001 (see below), though he helped the club win the 2001 Superliga championship.
. He was attended to rapidly by the club doctor Frank Odgaard who upon noticing something was very wrong tried to find his pulse and noticed his heart had stopped beating. He asked a player to call an ambulance and to tell them it was critical, whilst he continued to administer cardiac massage. Upon the ambulance arrival, he was pronounced clinically dead at the scene. On the way to the hospital he was revived nearly seven minutes later in the ambulance. He survived the episode and now has a pacemaker
fitted. The heart attack was the result of a previously undetected heart defect.
division. He had great success at Hamarkameratene, as the club won the league and was promoted to the top-flight Tippeligaen
. The next season, Solbakken managed Hamarkameratene to a fifth place in the Tippeligaen 2004 season, and he won the 2004 Kniksen award as Norwegian coach of the year. In late 2005, Solbakken was named as new manager of another of his former clubs, F.C. Copenhagen
.
trophy. He managed Copenhagen through to the group stage of the 2006–07 UEFA Champions League
, after beating Ajax Amsterdam
in the final qualifying round on 23 August 2006. F.C. Copenhagen finished last in its group, though they won a meriting 1–0 victory against later semi-finalists Manchester United.
On 16 February 2009, in an interview prior to F.C. Copenhagen's UEFA Cup
tie against Manchester City
, Solbakken claimed that Manchester City were "destroying football" with their "incredible sums" of money, referring to Manchester City's bid of over £100million to sign Kaká
. Copenhagen were eventually eliminated by Manchester City on a 3–4 aggregate score.
In May 2009, Solbakken led F.C. Copenhagen to the Double
of both the 2009 Danish Cup and the 2009 Superliga championship, the 7th championship in club history. On November 3, 2009, it was announced that Solbakken would not renew his Copenhagen contract which ended on 30 June 2011. Instead, he has agreed a letter of intent
to become Norwegian national team manager either in January 2012 or after the 2012 European Championship
, should Norway qualify.
of the German
Bundesliga
from Director of Sport Volker Finke
, who acted as interim manager after Frank Schaefer
quit during the season.
Manager
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
coach and a former player. He was named 2004 Norwegian Manager of the Year, and has won five Danish Superliga
Danish Superliga
The Danish Superliga is the current Danish football championship tournament, and administered by the Danish Football Association. It is the highest association football league in Denmark and is currently contested by 12 teams each year, with 2 teams to be relegated, which proves to be one of the...
championships with Copenhagen.
In his playing career, Solbakken was named 1995 Norwegian midfielder of the year, and he won the Danish Superliga championship with both Aalborg BK and Copenhagen. He played 58 matches and scored nine goals for the Norwegian national team during the end of the 1990s, and represented Norway at the 1998 World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
and 2000 European Championship
2000 UEFA European Football Championship
The 2000 UEFA European Football Championship, or Euro 2000, was the 11th UEFA European Football Championship, which is held every four years and organized by UEFA, association football's governing body in Europe....
tournaments. He ended his active career in March 2001 following a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
.
Playing career
He started his career in Norway, playing for his local lower league team Grue, where he stayed for five years. In 1989, he went to Hamarkameratene in the secondary Norwegian 1st DivisionAdeccoligaen
The Norwegian First Division is the second highest division of the Norwegian football league system. Since 2005, the official name of the league has been Adeccoligaen....
, with whom he won promotion
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
for the top-flight Tippeligaen
Tippeligaen
Tippeligaen 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. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official...
championship in 1991. He went on to Tippeligaen rivals Lillestrøm
Lillestrøm S.K.
Lillestrøm Sportsklubb is a Norwegian football club from the city of Lillestrøm. It was founded in 1917, after the merger of two local football clubs. Their home ground is Åråsen Stadion, while the principal training ground is Lillestrøm stadion, or the indoor arena, LSK-Hallen...
in 1994, and was subsequently called up for the Norwegian national team
Norway national football team
The Norway national football team represents Norway in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Norway, the governing body for football in Norway. Norway's home ground is Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo and their head coach is Egil Olsen...
. He won the 1995 Kniksen award as Norwegian midfielder of the year. He had a short stay abroad at English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
club Wimbledon
Wimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
in 1997. In his six league games for Wimbledon, Solbakken scored one goal against West Ham and was twice named "man of the match
Man of the match
In sport, a Man of the Match or Player of the Game or Man of the Series award is given to the outstanding player, almost always the one who makes the most impact, in a particular match or series. The term was originally used more often in cricket before being adopted by other sports. This can be a...
", but he fell out with team manager Joe Kinnear
Joe Kinnear
Joseph Patrick "Joe" Kinnear is an Irish football manager and former player. He was most recently the manager of Newcastle United....
and was banned from club training shortly thereafter.
He was sold to Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
side Aalborg BK (AaB) the same year. While playing at AaB, Solbakken represented Norway at the international 1998 World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
and 2000 European Championship
2000 UEFA European Football Championship
The 2000 UEFA European Football Championship, or Euro 2000, was the 11th UEFA European Football Championship, which is held every four years and organized by UEFA, association football's governing body in Europe....
tournaments. Solbakken became AaB's undisputed team leader, and guided the club to the 1999 Danish Superliga
Danish Superliga
The Danish Superliga is the current Danish football championship tournament, and administered by the Danish Football Association. It is the highest association football league in Denmark and is currently contested by 12 teams each year, with 2 teams to be relegated, which proves to be one of the...
championship, as well as the final of the 1999 Danish Cup
Danish Cup
The Danish Cup is the official "knockout" cup competition in Danish football, run by the Danish Football Association. The cup has been contested annually since 1955...
tournament. He was awarded as player of the year in Danish football in 2000. He played 79 games and scored 13 goals for AaB in the Superliga from March 1998 to August 2000.
Solbakken let it be known that he wanted a move to a bigger league, but he was eventually sold to Danish league rivals Copenhagen
F.C. Copenhagen
F.C. Copenhagen is a professional Danish football club in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is part of the Parken Sport & Entertainment....
. His career ended there following a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
in March 2001 (see below), though he helped the club win the 2001 Superliga championship.
Heart attack
During training on 13 March 2001 Solbakken had a heart attackMyocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
. He was attended to rapidly by the club doctor Frank Odgaard who upon noticing something was very wrong tried to find his pulse and noticed his heart had stopped beating. He asked a player to call an ambulance and to tell them it was critical, whilst he continued to administer cardiac massage. Upon the ambulance arrival, he was pronounced clinically dead at the scene. On the way to the hospital he was revived nearly seven minutes later in the ambulance. He survived the episode and now has a pacemaker
Artificial pacemaker
A pacemaker is a medical device that uses electrical impulses, delivered by electrodes contacting the heart muscles, to regulate the beating of the heart...
fitted. The heart attack was the result of a previously undetected heart defect.
Ham-Kam
The next year, Solbakken returned to Norway and started his coaching career at his old club Hamarkameratene in the Norwegian secondary AdeccoligaenAdeccoligaen
The Norwegian First Division is the second highest division of the Norwegian football league system. Since 2005, the official name of the league has been Adeccoligaen....
division. He had great success at Hamarkameratene, as the club won the league and was promoted to the top-flight Tippeligaen
Tippeligaen
Tippeligaen 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. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official...
. The next season, Solbakken managed Hamarkameratene to a fifth place in the Tippeligaen 2004 season, and he won the 2004 Kniksen award as Norwegian coach of the year. In late 2005, Solbakken was named as new manager of another of his former clubs, F.C. Copenhagen
F.C. Copenhagen
F.C. Copenhagen is a professional Danish football club in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is part of the Parken Sport & Entertainment....
.
F.C. Copenhagen
In his first years at the club, Solbakken guided F.C. Copenhagen to the 2006 and 2007 Danish Superliga championship, as well as the 2006 Royal LeagueRoyal League
The Royal League was an annual Scandinavian football tournament held three times between teams from the three Scandinavian monarchies , starting after the end of the regular domestic seasons of Norway and Sweden. Denmark, however, are in mid-season when the tournament starts...
trophy. He managed Copenhagen through to the group stage of the 2006–07 UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League 2006-07
The 2006–07 UEFA Champions League was the 15th season of UEFA's premier European club football tournament, the UEFA Champions League, since it was rebranded from the European Cup, and the 52nd season overall. The final was contested by Milan and Liverpool on 23 May 2007...
, after beating Ajax Amsterdam
Ajax Amsterdam
Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax , also referred to as AFC Ajax, Ajax Amsterdam or simply Ajax , is a professional football club from Amsterdam, Netherlands...
in the final qualifying round on 23 August 2006. F.C. Copenhagen finished last in its group, though they won a meriting 1–0 victory against later semi-finalists Manchester United.
On 16 February 2009, in an interview prior to F.C. Copenhagen's UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
tie against Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
, Solbakken claimed that Manchester City were "destroying football" with their "incredible sums" of money, referring to Manchester City's bid of over £100million to sign Kaká
Kaká
Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite , commonly known as Kaká , is a Brazilian football attacking midfielder who currently plays for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and the Brazilian national team. Kaká started his footballing career at the age of eight, when he began playing for a local club...
. Copenhagen were eventually eliminated by Manchester City on a 3–4 aggregate score.
In May 2009, Solbakken led F.C. Copenhagen to the Double
The Double
The Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...
of both the 2009 Danish Cup and the 2009 Superliga championship, the 7th championship in club history. On November 3, 2009, it was announced that Solbakken would not renew his Copenhagen contract which ended on 30 June 2011. Instead, he has agreed a letter of intent
Letter of intent
A letter of intent is a document outlining an agreement between two or more parties before the agreement is finalized. The concept is similar to a heads of agreement...
to become Norwegian national team manager either in January 2012 or after the 2012 European Championship
2012 UEFA European Football Championship
The 2012 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as Euro 2012, will be the 14th European Championship for national football teams sanctioned by UEFA. The final tournament will be hosted by Poland and Ukraine between 8 June and 1 July 2012...
, should Norway qualify.
1. FC Köln
On May 14, 2011 it was announced that Solbakken would take over as manager of 1. FC Köln1. FC Köln
1. FC Köln is a German association football club based in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia. It was formed in 1948 as a merger of the clubs Kölner Ballspiel-Club 1901 and SpVgg Sülz 07....
of the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
from Director of Sport Volker Finke
Volker Finke
Volker Finke is a German football manager and former player. He managed SC Freiburg from July 1991 to May 2007. This made him the longest-serving manager in the history of professional football in Germany...
, who acted as interim manager after Frank Schaefer
Frank Schaefer
Frank Schaefer is a German football manager and head coach of the German Fußball-Bundesliga team 1. FC Köln until the end of the season 2010/11.He resigned April 27,2011.- References :...
quit during the season.
Honours
Player- 1995 Kniksen award as Norwegian midfielder of the year
- Danish SuperligaDanish SuperligaThe Danish Superliga is the current Danish football championship tournament, and administered by the Danish Football Association. It is the highest association football league in Denmark and is currently contested by 12 teams each year, with 2 teams to be relegated, which proves to be one of the...
: 1999 and 2001
Manager
- 2004 Kniksen award as Norwegian coach of the year
- Royal LeagueRoyal LeagueThe Royal League was an annual Scandinavian football tournament held three times between teams from the three Scandinavian monarchies , starting after the end of the regular domestic seasons of Norway and Sweden. Denmark, however, are in mid-season when the tournament starts...
: 2006 - Danish SuperligaDanish SuperligaThe Danish Superliga is the current Danish football championship tournament, and administered by the Danish Football Association. It is the highest association football league in Denmark and is currently contested by 12 teams each year, with 2 teams to be relegated, which proves to be one of the...
: 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011 - Danish SuperligaDanish SuperligaThe Danish Superliga is the current Danish football championship tournament, and administered by the Danish Football Association. It is the highest association football league in Denmark and is currently contested by 12 teams each year, with 2 teams to be relegated, which proves to be one of the...
Manager of the Year: 2007, 2011 - Danish CupDanish CupThe Danish Cup is the official "knockout" cup competition in Danish football, run by the Danish Football Association. The cup has been contested annually since 1955...
: 2009