Rune Bratseth
Encyclopedia
Rune Bratseth is a former Norwegian
footballer who played as a sweeper.
Nicknamed Elk
due to his long stature, he is best known for his spell with SV Werder Bremen
, also having appeared in the 1994 FIFA World Cup
with Norway
, its first since 1938, at the age of 33.
, Bratseth started his career at local club Rosenborg BK. There, he would only be a part-time professional, until he left for Germany
's SV Werder Bremen
in January 1987, for a mere €
93.000. He was immediately cast into the starting XI, making his club debut in a 1–5 loss at 1. FC Nuremberg, on 21 February, after the winter break; he would also win the first of his two national championships
in his first full season.
Bratseth's finest moment came when Werder won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
in 1991–92, in a 2–0 victory against AS Monaco FC
. During the campaign, he played in eight (out of nine) complete matches, managing to add two goals (in both legs against Romania
's FCM Bacău
).
After a second league title with Bremen, Bratseth began suffering knee problems, even needing injections to play. After only one match in 1994–95, he called it quits, at 34, having amassed 230 league matches, with 12 goals, in eight and a half professional seasons. In the 1993–94 UEFA Champions League
, Braseth was on the scoresheet at the incredible 5–3 home win against R.S.C. Anderlecht
; the Belgian
led 3–0 with 25 minutes to go, and he helped to the final comeback with the 2–3.
Bratseth was named Norway's Golden Player
– the best Norwegian footballer of the past 50 years by the Norwegian Football Association
, in November 2003, to celebrate UEFA's Jubilee.
Subsequently, he became chairman and general manager
of Rosenborg, forming a successful partnership with coach
Nils Arne Eggen
. The club maintained its domestic
superiority in the following years.
Bratseth was actually registered as a player when he started his job at Rosenborg, and since the club did not have 25 players in its first team squad to be registered for the Champions League, he was included as a backup. Even though he did not want to play, he agreed to sit on the bench for one game in case of "emergency".
He was manager of Rosenborg between 10 June and 8 November 2006, leaving his post to Knut Torbjørn Eggen
, Nils Arne's son.
in 1986. He was a regular in the following eight years, retiring subsequently with 60 cap
s.
During the 1994 FIFA World Cup
, Bratseth was captain of the Norwegian squad. As the nation exited in the group stage (albeit with four points), their third and last game against Republic of Ireland
proved to be his last international.
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...
footballer who played as a sweeper.
Nicknamed Elk
Elk
The Elk is the large deer, also called Cervus canadensis or wapiti, of North America and eastern Asia.Elk may also refer to:Other antlered mammals:...
due to his long stature, he is best known for his spell with SV Werder Bremen
SV Werder Bremen
SV Werder Bremen is a German sports club best known for its association football team playing in Bremen, in the northwest German federal state of the same name. The club was founded on 4 February 1899 as Fußballverein Werder by a group of sixteen vocational high school students who had won a prize...
, also having appeared in the 1994 FIFA World Cup
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
with Norway
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...
, its first since 1938, at the age of 33.
Club career
Born in TrondheimTrondheim
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...
, Bratseth started his career at local club Rosenborg BK. There, he would only be a part-time professional, until he left for Germany
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...
's SV Werder Bremen
SV Werder Bremen
SV Werder Bremen is a German sports club best known for its association football team playing in Bremen, in the northwest German federal state of the same name. The club was founded on 4 February 1899 as Fußballverein Werder by a group of sixteen vocational high school students who had won a prize...
in January 1987, for a mere €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
93.000. He was immediately cast into the starting XI, making his club debut in a 1–5 loss at 1. FC Nuremberg, on 21 February, after the winter break; he would also win the first of his two national championships
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...
in his first full season.
Bratseth's finest moment came when Werder won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
in 1991–92, in a 2–0 victory against AS Monaco FC
AS Monaco FC
Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club are a French football club based in Fontvieille, Monaco. The club was founded in 1924 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second tier of French football. The team plays its home matches at the Stade Louis II located within Fontvieille...
. During the campaign, he played in eight (out of nine) complete matches, managing to add two goals (in both legs against Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
's FCM Bacău
FCM Bacau
FCM Bacău is a Romanian football club, founded in 1950, currently playing in the Liga II. It's the best placed Moldovan team in the Liga I All-Time Table, ranking 9th with 42 seasons played.-History:...
).
After a second league title with Bremen, Bratseth began suffering knee problems, even needing injections to play. After only one match in 1994–95, he called it quits, at 34, having amassed 230 league matches, with 12 goals, in eight and a half professional seasons. In the 1993–94 UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
, Braseth was on the scoresheet at the incredible 5–3 home win against R.S.C. Anderlecht
R.S.C. Anderlecht
Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht, usually known as Anderlecht or RSCA , is a Belgian professional football club based in Anderlecht in the Brussels Capital Region. Anderlecht plays in the Belgian Pro League and is the most successful Belgian football team in European competitions as well as in the...
; the Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
led 3–0 with 25 minutes to go, and he helped to the final comeback with the 2–3.
Bratseth was named Norway's Golden Player
UEFA Jubilee Awards
To celebrate the Union of European Football Associations 's 50th anniversary in 2004, each of its member associations was asked by UEFA to choose one of its own players as the single most outstanding player of the past 50 years . The 52 players were known as the Golden Players...
– the best Norwegian footballer of the past 50 years by the Norwegian Football Association
Football Association of Norway
The Football Association of Norway is the governing body of football in Norway. Current FIFA World Champions It was formed in 1902 and organises the men's and women's national teams, as well as the Norwegian Premier League.The team are enjoying their best ever spell thanks to World Player of the...
, in November 2003, to celebrate UEFA's Jubilee.
Subsequently, he became chairman and general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
of Rosenborg, forming a successful partnership with coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
Nils Arne Eggen
Nils Arne Eggen
Nils Arne Eggen is the most successful coach in the history of Norwegian football. He is best known as the manager for Rosenborg in the period 1988–97 and 1999–2002...
. The club maintained its domestic
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...
superiority in the following years.
Bratseth was actually registered as a player when he started his job at Rosenborg, and since the club did not have 25 players in its first team squad to be registered for the Champions League, he was included as a backup. Even though he did not want to play, he agreed to sit on the bench for one game in case of "emergency".
He was manager of Rosenborg between 10 June and 8 November 2006, leaving his post to Knut Torbjørn Eggen
Knut Torbjørn Eggen
Knut Torbjørn Eggen is a Norwegian football coach and former player, and will from August 1 be director of Rosenborg.As a player Eggen spent his entire career with Rosenborg. He played for the team between 1979 and 1991, winning the league title thrice. He was capped four times for the Norwegian...
, Nils Arne's son.
International career
Bratseth made his debut in the Norwegian national teamNorway 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...
in 1986. He was a regular in the following eight years, retiring subsequently with 60 cap
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
s.
During the 1994 FIFA World Cup
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
, Bratseth was captain of the Norwegian squad. As the nation exited in the group stage (albeit with four points), their third and last game against Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
proved to be his last international.
Team
- Norwegian LeagueTippeligaenTippeligaen 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...
: 1985 - UEFA Cup Winners' CupUEFA Cup Winners' CupThe UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
: 1991–92 - German LeagueFußball-BundesligaThe 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...
: 1987–88, 1992–93 - German CupDFB-PokalThe DFB-Pokal or DFB Cup is a German knockout football cup competition held annually. 64 teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga. It is considered the second most important national title in German football after the Bundesliga...
: 1990–91, 1993–94; Runner-up 1988–89, 1989–90