The 2012 Norwegian Premier League

Norwegian Premier League

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...

season is the 68th season of top-tier football in Norway

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...

. The competition, which is also named Tippeligaen

Norsk Tipping

Norsk Tipping AS is the national lottery in Norway, located in Hamar. The company offers a wide range of lottery, sports and instant games in the Norwegian market. Norsk Tipping is owned by the Norwegian government and administered by Norwegian Ministry of Culture and Church Affairs...

for sponsorship reasons, will begin on 25 March 2012 and will end on 18 November 2012, with a summer break from 28 May to 30 June. Defending champions are Molde.

At the end of the season, the two teams who are placed last will be relegated to the 2013 First Division. There will not be a two-legged promotion playoff this season.

Teams

Team	Location	Arena	Turf	Capacity	Manager
Aalesunds FK	Ålesund Ålesund is a town and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Sunnmøre, and the center of the Ålesund Region. It is a sea port, and is noted for its unique concentration of Art Nouveau architecture....	Color Line Stadion	Artificial	10,778	Kjetil Rekdal Kjetil Rekdal Kjetil André Rekdal is a Norwegian football coach and a former footballer. He is currently managing Aalesund in Norwegian Tippeligaen. His previous tenure was at Kaiserslautern of the 2...
SK Brann	Bergen Bergen Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....	Brann Stadion Brann Stadion Brann Stadion is a football stadium in Bergen, Norway. It was constructed in 1919, and has been the home of the football club Brann ever since. The stadium lies south of the centre of the city, at the foot of Mount Ulriken....	Natural	17,824	Rune Skarsfjord Rune Skarsfjord Rune Skarsfjord is a Norwegian football coach currently employed as head coach of SK Brann. He was promoted to head coach after Steinar Nilsen was dismissed. Before signing for Brann, Skarsfjord worked as head coach for FK Haugesund and as an assistant coach for Rosenborg BK. He is also a former...
Fredrikstad	Fredrikstad Fredrikstad is a city and municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Fredrikstad....	Fredrikstad Stadion Fredrikstad stadion Fredrikstad Stadion was the homeground of the Norwegian Premier League side Fredrikstad FK until the end of the 2006 season, due to their new and modernized stadium at the borough of Kråkerøy, only a few minutes away from the city center....	Natural	13,300	Tom Freddy Aune
FK Haugesund	Haugesund Haugesund is a town and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.-Location:Haugesund was separated from Torvastad as a town and municipality of its own in 1855. The rural municipality of Skåre was merged with Haugesund on January 1, 1958. Haugesund is a small municipality, only 73 km²...	Haugesund Stadion Haugesund stadion Haugesund Stadion is a multi-purpose stadium in Haugesund, Norway. It is currently used mostly for football matches, and is the home ground of Norwegian Premier League team FK Haugesund and Second Division team SK Vard Haugesund. It is also used as an athletics venue for Haugesund IL. The venue...	Natural	5,000	Jostein Grindhaug Jostein Grindhaug Jostein Grindhaug is a Norwegian football coach and former player. Hailing from Åkrehamn, he has spent most of his career with FK Haugesund.-Playing career:...
Hønefoss BK	Hønefoss Hønefoss Hønefoss is a city in Buskerud county, Norway, and the center of the municipality of Ringerike.In 1852, Hønefoss received town status and was separated from Norderhov. Hønefoss celebrated its 150th year of township in 2002...	AKA Arena	Artificial Artificial turf Artificial turf is a surface manufactured from synthetic fibers made to look like natural grass. It is most often used in arenas for sports that were originally or are normally played on grass. However, it is now being used on residential lawns and commercial applications as well...	4,000	Leif Gunnar Smerud
Lillestrøm SK	Lillestrøm Lillestrøm ' is a city in the municipality of Skedsmo, Akershus, Norway. The municipal administration is located in Lillestrøm.Facilities in Lillestrøm include hotels, Norway trade fairs, a brand new cinema, a mall, Lillestrøm torv, restaurants, a high speed commuter train that reaches both Oslo and...	Åråsen stadion Åråsen Stadion Åråsen Stadion is an all-seater football stadium located in Lillestrøm, a suburb of Oslo, in Skedsmo, Norway. With a capacity 12,250 spectators, the venue is the home of Norwegian Premier League side Lillestrøm SK . The venue has four stands, of which the western stand has luxury boxes and club...	Natural	11,637	Magnus Haglund Magnus Haglund Magnus Haglund is a Swedish football coach and former player. He is head coach at Lillestrøm SK, having signed a two-year contract starting in January 2012. He lead IF Elfsborg to its first league title in 45 years.- Coach carreer :...
Molde FK	Molde Molde is a city and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Romsdal region. The municipality is located on the Romsdal Peninsula, surrounding the Fannefjord and Moldefjord...	Aker Stadion Aker stadion Aker Stadion, formerly known as Molde Stadion, is a football stadium located at Reknes in Molde, Norway, and is the home of Norwegian Premier League club Molde. The stadium has a capacity of 11,800 spectators....	Natural	11,800	Ole Gunnar Solskjær Ole Gunnar Solskjær Ole Gunnar Solskjær is the manager of Norwegian first division side Molde. He is better known as a former footballer who spent most of his career playing for Manchester United. Often dubbed "the baby-faced assassin," he played 366 times for the Red Devils and scored 126 goals during a very...
Odd Grenland	Skien Skien ' is a city and municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Grenland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Skien. Skien is also the administrative centre of Telemark county....	Skagerak Arena Skagerak Arena Skagerak Arena is a football stadium located in Skien, Norway. It was formerly called Odd Stadion, and was built in 1923 as the home ground of Odd Grenland Ballklubb...	Artificial Artificial turf Artificial turf is a surface manufactured from synthetic fibers made to look like natural grass. It is most often used in arenas for sports that were originally or are normally played on grass. However, it is now being used on residential lawns and commercial applications as well...	13,500	Dag Eiliv Fagermo
Rosenborg BK	Trondheim Trondheim Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...	Lerkendal Stadion Lerkendal stadion Lerkendal Stadion is an all-seater football stadium located at Lerkendal in Trondheim, Norway. The home ground of the Tippeligaen side Rosenborg BK, it has a capacity for 21,116 spectators, making it the second-largest football stadium in the country....	Natural	21,850	Jan Jönsson Jan Jönsson Jan Jönsson is a former Swedish football player, currently a football coach for Rosenborg.-Coaching career:Between 1993 and 1994 he was inaugurated as the Sanfrecce Hiroshima assistant coach with Stuart Baxter manager who became acquainted in Halmstad.Then, he is inaugurated as a coach with the...
Sandnes Ulf Sandnes Ulf Sandnes Ulf is a Norwegian football club from Sandnes, Rogaland. They currently play in the Adeccoligaen, the second highest division in the Norwegian football league system. Sandnes Ulf is the biggest football club in Sandnes, but has traditionally been in the shadow of regional greats Viking FK...	Sandnes Sandnes is a city and municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is part of the region of Jæren.-History:Sandnes was separated from Høyland as a municipality of its own in 1860, and gained city status the same year...	Sandnes Idrettspark Sandnes Idrettspark Sandnes Idrettspark is a multi-purpose stadium in Sandnes, Rogaland, Norway. It is currently used mostly for track and field meets and football matches, and is the home ground of Sandnes Ulf. The stadium's capacity is 3850 ....	Natural	3,850	Asle Andersen
Sogndal Sogndal Fotball Sogndal Fotball is the association football section of Norwegian sports club Sogndal IL from Sogndal in Sogn og Fjordane. The club was founded in 1926....	Sogndal Sogndal Sogndal is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sogn. The village of Sogndalsfjøra is the administrative center of Sogndal municipality. Other main villages include Kaupanger, Kjørnes, and Fjærland...	Fosshaugane Campus Fosshaugane campus Fosshaugane Campus is the current home ground for the football team, Sogndal Fotball. It is also a combined with a campus, from where it got its name.The stadium was inaugurated on 7 July 2006 when Sogndal beat Bryne 2–0.-Facts:...	Natural	5,402	Jonas Olsson
Stabæk Fotball	Bærum Bærum is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Sandvika. Bærum was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838. A suburb of Oslo, Bærum is located on the west coast of the city....	Nadderud Stadion Nadderud stadion Nadderud stadion is a multi-purpose stadium at Nadderud near Bekkestua, in Bærum, Norway.-Association football:It is currently used mostly for track and field meets and football matches, and is the home ground of the Norwegian Toppserien team Stabæk Fotball...	Natural	7,000	Jörgen Lennartsson Jörgen Lennartsson Jörgen Lennartsson is a Swedish football manager and the current manager of Elfsborg in Allsvenskan.Lennartsson is currently manager of Stabæk, where he started January 2011...
Strømsgodset IF	Drammen Drammen Drammen is a city in Buskerud County, Norway. The port and river city of Drammen is centrally located in the eastern and most populated part of Norway.-Location:...	Marienlyst Stadion Marienlyst stadion Marienlyst Stadion has been the home ground of Strømsgodset IF since 1967. It's located on Marienlyst in Drammen.The pitch was opened in 1924, and was the home ground of Drafn, Skiold and Drammens Ballklubb. During the 1952 Winter Olympics in neighboring Oslo, the venue hosted two ice hockey...	Artificial Artificial turf Artificial turf is a surface manufactured from synthetic fibers made to look like natural grass. It is most often used in arenas for sports that were originally or are normally played on grass. However, it is now being used on residential lawns and commercial applications as well...	7,500	Ronny Deila Ronny Deila Ronny Deila is a former Norwegian football player and from the 2008 season coach for Strømsgodset in Tippeligaen. He played for Urædd, Odd Grenland and Viking before joining Strømsgodset as playing assistant coach in 2006. Under coach Dag-Eilev Fagermo he was the assistant until the end of 2007,...
Tromsø IL	Tromsø Tromsø Tromsø is a city and municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tromsø.Tromsø city is the ninth largest urban area in Norway by population, and the seventh largest city in Norway by population...	Alfheim Stadion	Artificial Artificial turf Artificial turf is a surface manufactured from synthetic fibers made to look like natural grass. It is most often used in arenas for sports that were originally or are normally played on grass. However, it is now being used on residential lawns and commercial applications as well...	7,500	Per Mathias Høgmo
Viking FK	Stavanger Stavanger Stavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway...	Viking Stadion Viking Stadion Viking Stadion is a football stadium, built at Jåttåvågen, in Stavanger, Norway. It was inaugurated in May 2004 and cost 160 million NOK to build . 50 million NOK, plus the lot it was built on, was a gift from the municipality. It replaced Stavanger Stadion as the home stadium for Viking F.K....	Natural	16,600	Åge Hareide Åge Hareide Åge Fridtjof Hareide is a Norwegian football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of Viking FK.-Playing career:During his playing career, Hareide played for Hødd, Molde, Manchester City and Norwich City....
Vålerenga Fotball	Oslo Oslo Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...	Ullevaal Stadion Ullevaal Stadion Ullevaal Stadion is an all-seater football stadium located in Oslo, Norway. It is the home ground of Vålerenga IF and 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 Lyn. With a capacity of 25,572, it is the...	Natural	25,572	Martin Andresen Martin Andresen Martin Andresen is a Norwegian football manager.-Club career:Martin Andresen was a regular on many Norwegian national youth teams while playing for Moss, Viking and Stabæk Fotball from 1995-1999. After the 1999 season, Andresen was sold to Premier League club Wimbledon in a deal worth £1,8 million...

Managerial changes

Team	Outgoing manager	Manner of departure	Date of vacancy	Table	Incoming manager	Date of appointment	Table
Sogndal Sogndal Fotball Sogndal Fotball is the association football section of Norwegian sports club Sogndal IL from Sogndal in Sogn og Fjordane. The club was founded in 1926....	Harald Aabrekk Harald Aabrekk Harald Olav Aabrekk is the head coach of the Norwegian Premiership club Sogndal. He is a former head coach for Tromsø, Brann, Haugesund and Vålerenga and he was the assistant coach for the Norwegian national football team from 1998-2003...	End of contract	31 December 2011	Pre-Season	Jonas Olsson	1 January 2012	Pre-Season
Stabæk	Jörgen Lennartsson Jörgen Lennartsson Jörgen Lennartsson is a Swedish football manager and the current manager of Elfsborg in Allsvenskan.Lennartsson is currently manager of Stabæk, where he started January 2011...	Signed by IF Elfsborg IF Elfsborg IF Elfsborg is a Swedish football club located in Borås. The club has won five national championship titles, the latest in 2006, and two national cup titles. Currently playing in the highest Swedish league, Allsvenskan. Elfsborg is based at Borås Arena...	31 December 2011	Pre-Season			Pre-Season
Lillestrøm	Petter Belsvik Petter Belsvik Petter Belsvik is a Norwegian football coach and former player. With 159 goals in the Norwegian Premier League he ranks third in the all-time statistics, behind Harald Brattbakk. He has never appeared for the Norwegian national team....  (caretaker)	Signing of new Head Coach	31 December 2011	Pre-Season	Magnus Haglund Magnus Haglund Magnus Haglund is a Swedish football coach and former player. He is head coach at Lillestrøm SK, having signed a two-year contract starting in January 2012. He lead IF Elfsborg to its first league title in 45 years.- Coach carreer :...	1 January 2012	Pre-Season