Molde FK: Difference between revisions

On 2 August 1964, Molde shocked nine-time [[Norwegian Football Cup|Norwegian Cup]] champions and nine-time [[List of Norwegian football league champions|Norwegian League Champions]] [[Fredrikstad FK|Fredrikstad]] by eliminating them from the [[1964 Norwegian Football Cup|1964 Norwegian Cup]] in the third round with a 3–2 win at home. [[Jan Fuglset]], [[Torkild Brakstad]] and [[Harry Hestad]], amongst others, played at Molde during that period.<ref name="rb1974">{{cite web |url=http://fotball.rbnett.no/mfk100/article200924.ece |title=Vi sjokkerte norsk fotball i 1974 |language=Norwegian |work=rbnett.no |publisher=[[Romsdals Budstikke]] |accessdate=29 October 2011 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120727061059/http://fotball.rbnett.no/mfk100/article200924.ece |archivedate=27 July 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> The club played in local lower leagues, save for a short visit in the top division in the [[1957–58 Norwegian Main League|1957–58 season]]. In 1970, Molde was promoted to the [[Adeccoligaen|second tier]] and played there for three seasons until its promotion to the [[Tippeligaen|First Division]] with a 5–1 away win against [[Sogndal Fotball|Sogndal]] on 16 September 1973.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://fotball.rbnett.no/eliteserien/article215624.ece |language=Norwegian |title=Tilbake i Sogndal – der eventyret startet |work=rbnett.no |publisher=[[Romsdals Budstikke]] |date=24 November 2011 |accessdate=27 November 2011 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111126021834/http://fotball.rbnett.no/eliteserien/article215624.ece |archivedate=26 November 2011 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

Åge Hareide was the main coach of Molde in 1994, when they finished second in their [[Adeccoligaen|First Division]] group and was thus re-promoted to Tippeligaen. Molde also met their main rivals [[Rosenborg BK|Rosenborg]] in the semi-final of the [[1994 Norwegian Football Cup|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]] called Molde's playing style for "arse-football" ("''rævvafotball''"). Molde won their first title by defeating [[FK Lyn|Lyn]] 3–2 at [[Ullevaal Stadium]] in Oslo.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nrk.no/sport/fotball/eliteserien/1.5887653 |language=Norwegian |title=Moldes første pokal |work=nrk.no |publisher=[[Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation|NRK]] |date=4 June 2008 |accessdate=20 December 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://fotball.rbnett.no/mfk100/article201495.ece |language=Norwegian |title="Etter cupfinalen la jeg opp med god samvittighet". |work=rbnett.no |publisher=[[Romsdals Budstikke]] |date=24 May 2011 |accessdate=15 December 2011 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110903095316/http://fotball.rbnett.no/mfk100/article201495.ece |archivedate=3 September 2011 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

Solskjær scored 31 goals in 42 matches for Molde and was sold to [[Manchester United F.C.|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.<ref name="brakstad">{{cite web |url=http://fotball.rbnett.no/eliteserien/article214101.ece |language=Norwegian |title=Brakstad tror Molde kan overraske i Europa |work=rbnett.no |publisher=[[Romsdals Budstikke]] |date=4 November 2011 |accessdate=23 December 2011 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120106213404/http://fotball.rbnett.no/eliteserien/article214101.ece |archivedate=6 January 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

In 1999, Molde had a successful season, finishing second in the league and reaching the semi-final of the [[1999 Norwegian Football Cup|1999 Norwegian Cup]], where they were eliminated by Brann. Molde also participated in the [[UEFA Champions League]], where Molde was drawn against [[PFC CSKA Moscow|CSKA Moscow]] in the [[1999–2000 UEFA Champions League|second qualifying round]]. In the first match in [[Moscow]], Molde lost 2–0, while in the second leg, 19-year-old [[Magne Hoseth]] had his big break-through with two goals when CSKA was defeated 4–0<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nrk.no/sport/fotball/eliteserien/1.1185521 |language=Norwegian |title=Hoset slo tilbake |work=nrk.no |publisher=[[Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation|NRK]] |date=21 April 2003 |accessdate=26 December 2011}}</ref> to send Molde to the third qualifying round, where they met [[RCD Mallorca|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]] 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,<ref name="brakstad"/> and Molde became the team from the smallest city to have qualified for the group stage of Champions League until [[FC Unirea Urziceni|Unirea Urziceni]] repeated the feat in [[2009–10 UEFA Champions League|2009–10]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blogg.aftenbladet.no/borebloggen/2009/11/07/cupfinale-med-nerver/ |language=Norwegian |title=Cupfinale med nerver |work=aftenbladet.no |publisher=[[Stavanger Aftenblad]] |first=Thor Bjarne |last=Bore |date=7 November 2009 |accessdate=26 December 2011}}</ref> In the group stage, Molde were drawn against [[Real Madrid C.F.|Real Madrid]], [[FC Porto|Porto]] and [[Olympiacos F.C.|Olympiacos]], 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]]'' voted 1999 as the best year in the history of the club.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://fotball.rbnett.no/mfk100/article203351.ece |language=Norwegian |title=Leserne mener: Moldes 1999–årgang er best |work=rbnett.no |publisher=[[Romsdals Budstikke]] |date=17 June 2011 |accessdate=30 November 2011 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110823031155/http://fotball.rbnett.no/mfk100/article203351.ece |archivedate=23 August 2011 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

On 6 November 2000, after the sacking of Erik Brakstad, [[Gunder Bengtsson]] was announced head coach for two years.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vg.no/sport/fotball/norsk/artikkel.php?artid=7957748 |language=Norwegian |title=Bengtsson ny Molde-trener |work=vg.no |publisher=[[Verdens Gang|VG]] |date=6 November 2000 |accessdate=30 November 2011}}</ref> After one season, Bengtsson and his assistant [[Karl Gunnar Björklund|Kalle Björklund]] were signed for three more years.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aftenposten.no/nyheter/sport/article295989.ece |language=Norwegian |title=Gunder Molde-trener i tre nye år |work=ap.no |publisher=[[Aftenposten]] |date=18 March 2002 |accessdate=30 November 2011 }}{{dead link|date=February 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://fotball.rbnett.no/mfk100/article202817.ece |language=Norwegian |title=- De fikk resultater, men vant ikke folket |work=rbnett.no |publisher=[[Romsdals Budstikke]] |date=10 June 2011 |accessdate=20 December 2011 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110814232710/http://fotball.rbnett.no/mfk100/article202817.ece |archivedate=14 August 2011 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

In 2005, [[Bo Johansson]] became head coach of Molde, and on 15 June 2005, Molde won 3–2 against [[Nybergsund IL-Trysil|Nybergsund]] to qualify for the fourth round of the Norwegian Cup, having lost in the third round for three consecutive years.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nrk.no/sport/fotball/1.1173069 |language=Norwegian |title=Molde snublet seg videre |work=nrk.no |publisher=[[Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation|NRK]] |date=15 June 2005 |accessdate=25 December 2011}}</ref> 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 SK|Lillestrøm]] in the [[2005 Norwegian Football Cup Final|final]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://fotball.rbnett.no/mfk100/article202954.ece |language=Norwegian |title=- Cupfinalen i 2005 er den største kampen i karrieren |work=rbnett.no |publisher=[[Romsdals Budstikke]] |date=12 June 2011 |accessdate=25 December 2011 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110814234035/http://fotball.rbnett.no/mfk100/article202954.ece |archivedate=14 August 2011 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> Bo Johansson left Molde after only one season with the club, and on Christmas Eve, [[Arild Stavrum]] was announced as the new head coach.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nrk.no/nyheter/distrikt/nrk_more_og_romsdal/sport_nrk_more_og_romsdal/5347441.html |language=Norwegian |title=Arild Stavrum ny Molde-trener |work=NRK.no |publisher=[[Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation|NRK]] |date=24 December 2005 |accessdate=6 December 2011}}</ref>

After the promotion, Molde recorded a 5–1 win against Vålerenga on the last day of [[Moldejazz]] 2008,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nrk.no/nyheter/distrikt/more_og_romsdal/1.6145790 |language=Norwegian |title=Full jubel i Molde! |work=nrk.no |publisher=[[Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation|NRK]] |date=19 July 2008 |accessdate=2 December 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.abcnyheter.no/sport/eliteserien/080719/molde-valset-over-valerenga |language=Norwegian |title=Molde valset over Vålerenga |work=abcnyheter.no |date=19 July 2008 |accessdate=17 January 2012 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://archive.is/20120720023615/http://www.abcnyheter.no/sport/eliteserien/080719/molde-valset-over-valerenga |archivedate=20 July 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> as well as eliminating Brann from the cup with an impressive 8–0 win at home four days later.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vg.no/sport/fotball/norsk/artikkel.php?artid=196824 |language=Norwegian |title=Molde grisebanket Brann |work=vg.no |publisher=[[Verdens Gang|VG]] |date=23 July 2008 |accessdate=17 January 2012}}</ref> Regardless of these strong results, Molde finished ninth in their comeback season in the top flight.