2007 SK Brann season

The 2007 season was SK Brann's 99th season and their 21st consecutive season in the Norwegian Premier League. Brann won the Norwegian Premier League in 2007. In the end, they finished 6 points ahead of their nearest rival, Stabæk. The team did cause a small sensation, and bitter disappointment among tens of thousands of Brann-supporters who had gathered in Bergen to watch the game live, on 20 October, by losing to Ålesund 1-2 in the 24th of 26 rounds, a match where a draw would have set aside all doubt about Brann's league win.[1] However two days later, Viking defeated Brann's last rival to the gold medals Stabæk with a 2-1 result, thereby securing Brann the first league championship since 1963 anyway.[2]

SK Brann

2007 season
Brann Stadion before the first home match against Strømsgodset
Manager	Mons Ivar Mjelde
Stadium	Brann Stadion
Tippeligaen	1st (Champions)
Norwegian Football Cup	4th round
UEFA Cup	Round of 32
Royal League	Quarter finals
Top goalscorer	League: Thorstein Helstad (22) All: Thorstein Helstad (27)

Brann also qualified for the group stage of the UEFA Cup for the first time after beating Club Brugge from Belgium in the qualifier. The team won its first victory in the group stage of the UEFA Cup by defeating the Croatian side Dinamo Zagreb. On 21 December, the draw for the Round Of 32 of The UEFA Cup was made and Brann will face a tough test against Premiership side Everton who won all four of the games in Group A. The first leg was lost at home 0 -2, 13 February. The return leg is at Goodison Park a week later. They lost the return leg 6-1

The Norwegian football cup ended for Brann in the 4th round, as in the 2006 season, where they was defeated by Viking.

Information

Manager: Mons Ivar Mjelde
League: Norwegian Premier League
Shirt supplier: Kappa
Shirt sponsor: Sparebanken Vest
Average league attendance: 17,225
League: Champions
Norwegian Cup: 4th round (0-2 vs. Viking)
UEFA Cup: Qualified for Round of 32
Top goal scorer: Thorstein Helstad (22 in league, 27 in total)
Player of the year: Thorstein Helstad

Squad

As of July 2007. Matches and goals updated as of 28 October and is for league only. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  NOR Johan Thorbjørnsen 3 DF  NOR Bjørn Dahl 4 DF  NOR Cato Guntveit 5 DF  USA Ramiro Corrales 6 MF  NOR Helge Haugen (until July 2007) 6 DF  NOR Azar Karadas 7 MF  NOR Hassan El Fakiri 7 MF  NOR Ardian Gashi (until July 2007) 8 MF  NOR Martin Andresen (C) 9 MF  NOR Jan Gunnar Solli 10 FW  NOR Bengt Sæternes (until July 2007) 11 MF  NOR Petter Vaagan Moen 12 GK  NOR Håkon Opdal

No. Pos. Nation Player 13 MF  NOR Erik Huseklepp 14 MF  GAM Tijan Jaiteh 15 DF  NOR Erlend Hanstveit 16 FW  SWE Joakim Sjöhage 17 MF  NOR Eirik Bakke 18 DF  ISL Ólafur Örn Bjarnason 19 MF  NOR Nicolai Misje 20 FW  NOR Trond Fredrik Ludvigsen (until June 2007) 21 DF  ISL Kristján Örn Sigurðsson 22 FW  NOR Thorstein Helstad 26 DF  NOR Knut Walde 28 DF  ISL Ármann Björnsson 77 FW  SCO Robbie Winters

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player — MF  NOR Tore Kannelønning (on loan to Løv-Ham) — FW  NOR Thor Jørgen Spurkeland (on loan to Fyllingen) — MF  NOR Erlend Storesund (on loan to Løv-Ham) — MF  NOR Trond Fredrik Ludvigsen (on loan to Strømsgodset)

No. Pos. Nation Player — FW  NOR Arve Walde (on loan to Løv-Ham) — MF  CMR Arnaud Monkam (loan to Løv-Ham) — GK  NOR Kenneth Udjus (loan to Løv-Ham) — DF  NOR Yaw Ihle Amankwah (on loan to Fana)

Transfers

Players in Only first team squad transfers Winter 2006/07 Tijan Jaiteh from Gambia Ports Authority.[3] Ramiro Corrales from Ham-Kam[4] Kenneth Udjus from Arendal[5] Jan Gunnar Solli from Rosenborg[6] Summer 2006/07 Knut Walde from Løv-Ham[7] Joakim Sjöhage from Elfsborg[8] Hassan El Fakiri on a free transfer.[9] Azar Karadas from Benfica[10]

Players out Only first team squad transfers Winter 2006/07 Martin Knudsen to Tromsø I.L.[11] Kristian Ystaas to Notodden F.K.[12] Charlie Miller to Lierse (released)[13] Steffen Haraldsen to Fyllingen[14] Migen Memelli to GAIS [15] Kenneth Udjus to Løv-Ham (loan)[16] Arnaud Monkam to Løv-Ham (loan)[16] Summer 2006/07 Trond Fredrik Ludvigsen to Strømsgodset (loan)[17] Helge Haugen to Tromsø I.L.[18] Bengt Sæternes to OB[19] Ardian Gashi to Fredrikstad[9]

Results

Date	Host	Agg.	Visitor	Ground	Attendance	Tournament
25 February	OB	3-2	Brann	Fionia Park, Odense	3,004	Royal League
1 March	Brøndby	3-0	Brann	Brøndby Stadion, Brøndby	5,471	Royal League
10 April	Stabæk	0-1	Brann	Nadderud Stadion, Bærum	6,262	Tippeligaen
16 April	Brann	3-1	Strømsgodset	Brann Stadion, Bergen	16,161[20]	Tippeligaen
22 April	Brann	4-1	Vålerenga	Brann Stadion, Bergen	16,579[20]	Tippeligaen
29 April	Rosenborg	3-0	Brann	Lerkendal Stadion, Trondheim	21,850	Tippeligaen
6 May	Brann	2-2	Start	Brann Stadion, Bergen	17,106[20]	Tippeligaen
13 May	Sandefjord	2-3	Brann	Storstadion, Sandefjord	6,872	Tippeligaen
16 May	Brann	2-2	Fredrikstad	Brann Stadion, Bergen	17,886[20]	Tippeligaen
20 May	Trio	0-5	Brann	Kvednabekkjen kunstgras, Husnes	2,810	Norwegian Cup
28 May	Odd Grenland	0-2	Brann	Skagerak Arena, Skien	5,430	Tippeligaen
10 June	Brann	3-1	Lillestrøm	Brann Stadion, Bergen	17,455	Tippeligaen
13 June	Øygard	0-5	Brann	Straume idrettspark, Fjell	3,000	Norwegian Cup
17 June	Lyn	6-0	Brann	Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo	12,070	Tippeligaen
20 June	Brann	2-1	Aalesund	Brann Stadion, Bergen	17,149	Tippeligaen
24 June	Viking	3-1	Brann	Viking Stadion, Stavanger	16,600	Tippeligaen
27 June	Kopervik	0-5	Brann	Åsebøen stadion, Kopervik	1,893	Norwegian Cup
1 July	Brann	2-1	Tromsø	Brann Stadion, Bergen	16,625	Tippeligaen
Summer break
19 July	Carmarthen Town	0-8	Brann	Richmond Park, Carmarthen	769	UEFA cup 1st qualifying round
22 July	Brann	3-0	Stabæk	Brann Stadion, Bergen	17,182	Tippeligaen
25 July	Viking	2-0	Brann	Viking Stadion, Stavanger	13,184	Norwegian Cup
29 July	Strømsgodset	2-4	Brann	Marienlyst Stadion, Drammen	8,198	Tippeligaen
2 August	Brann	6-3	Carmarthen Town	Brann Stadion, Bergen	4,587	UEFA cup 1st qualifying round
8 August	Vålerenga	2-0	Brann	Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo	17,806	Tippeligaen
11 August	Brann	3-2	Rosenborg	Brann Stadion, Bergen	17,580	Tippeligaen
16 August	Brann	2-1	Sūduva	Brann Stadion, Bergen	7,400	UEFA cup 2nd qualifying round
26 August	Start	1-1	Brann	Sør Arena, Kristiansand	11,025	Tippeligaen
30 August	Sūduva	3-4	Brann	Sūduva stadium, Marijampolė	-	UEFA cup 2nd qualifying round
2 September	Brann	1-0	Sandefjord	Brann Stadion, Bergen	17,250	Tippeligaen
16 September	Fredrikstad	0-4	Brann	Nye Fredrikstad Stadion, Fredrikstad	12,277	Tippeligaen
20 September	Brann	0-1	Club Brugge	Brann Stadion, Bergen	10,471	UEFA cup First Round
23 September	Brann	4-0	Odd Grenland	Brann Stadion, Bergen	17,398	Tippeligaen
30 September	Lillestrøm	1-5	Brann	Åråsen Stadion, Lillestrøm	11,426	Tippeligaen
4 October	Club Brugge	1-2	Brann	Jan Breydel Stadium, Bruges	14,750	UEFA cup First Round
8 October	Brann	3-1	Lyn	Brann Stadion, Bergen	17,765	Tippeligaen
20 October	Aalesund	2-1	Brann	Color Line Stadion, Ålesund	10,780	Tippeligaen
25 October	Brann	0-1	Hamburg	Brann Stadion, Bergen	13,029	UEFA cup Group stage
28 October	Brann	5-2	Viking	Brann Stadion, Bergen	17,824	Tippeligaen
4 November	Tromsø	3-0	Brann	Alfheim Stadion, Tromsø	7,450	Tippeligaen
8 November	Rennes	1-1	Brann	Route de Lorient, Rennes	11,291	UEFA cup Group stage
29 November	Brann	2-1	Dinamo Zagreb	Brann Stadion, Bergen	9,962	UEFA cup Group stage
5 December	Basel	1-0	Brann	St. Jakob-Park, Basel	13,800	UEFA cup Group stage

[21]

Highlights

• 5 January: Brann signed the American fullback Ramiro Corrales from Ham-Kam. The deal was worth about NOK 2.000.000.[4]
• 1 February: Charlie Miller's contract was terminated. Miller had stated that he couldn't play under the leadership of Mons Ivar Mjelde. He later signed with the Belgium side Lierse S.K..[13]
• 9 February: Ramiro Corrales was deported from Norway after playing the whole 2006 season without a work permit.[22] Brann appealed the decision, still hoping to keep Corrales in the squad.
• 12 February: Brann signed the young goalie Kenneth Udjus from F.K. Arendal.
• 25 February: Brann lost the seasons first official game 3-2 against OB in the Royal League. Both teams were already qualified for the quarter-finals.
• 26 February: Brann drew Brøndby IF in the Royal League quarter-finals. The match will take place at Brøndby Stadion on 1 March.
• 1 March: Brann was knocked out of the Royal League after a 0-3 defeat against Brøndby.
• 14 March: Ramiro Corrales was granted permanent residency in Norway, and will return to Bergen as soon as possible.[23]
• 16 March: Rosenborg's Jan Gunnar Solli signed a 4-year deal with SK Brann
• 21 March: Steffen Haraldsen left Brann on a free transfer to Fyllingen. The young goalie never played for Brann's first team.
• 28 March: Migen Memelli sold to the Swedish team GAIS.[15]
• 30 March: Arnaud Monkam and Kenneth Udjus were loaned out to Løv-Ham.
• 10 April: Brann opened the Premiership-season with a 1-0 victory against Stabæk away.
• 22 April: Brann crushed fellow Premiership contender Vålerenga 4-1 in their second homematch of the season. Bengt Sæternes made a huge impact by scoring a "golden hat-trick" in the first half, and securing the win with a header after 66 minutes. After three rounds, Brann is the only team in the Norwegian Premier League with all wins so far.
• 12 May: Brann took a lucky win against Sandefjord away, in their Premiership-match number 1000.
• 20 May: Brann advanced to the 2nd round of the Norwegian cup after an easy 5-0 win against Trio.
• 8 June: Trond Fredrik Ludvigsen was loaned out to Strømsgodset I.F. for the remainder of the 2007-season after the summer transferwindow opened on 1 July.
• 16 June: Brann was humiliated in Oslo after an 0-6 defeat against Lyn, in a match which saw Brann goalkeeper Håkon Opdal sent off after 43 minutes.
• 27 June: Brann advanced to the 4th round of the Norwegian cup after defeating Kopervik in a match where Robbie Winters scored a hat-trick. After this game Brann had won every match in the Norwegian men's football cup 2007 0-5.
• 1 July: Brann beat Tromsø I.L. 2-1 in their last game before the summerbreak. Brann ended up with 26 points, an 8-2-3 win-draw-loss ratio, 25 goals scored and 23 goals against. They were second only to Stabæk I.F. who had 28 points after half played season.
• 2 July: Brann brought Knut Walde back from Løv-Ham, 1.5 years after they sold him to the same club.[7]
• 4 July: Brann signed the Swedish talent Joakim Sjöhage from IF Elfsborg. Helge Haugen left Brann after five and a half seasons to try to gain a regular spot on the team of Tromsø IL.
• 10 July: Erik Huseklepp came to an oral agreement with Stabæk I.F. Huseklepp's contract expires in October, and it's not yet known if he'll stay with Brann til then, or if he leaves the club this summer. Bengt Sæternes however, signed with Danish side OB, and have played his last match for Brann.
• 19 July: Brann crushed little Carmarthen Town F.C. 0-8 in the first leg of the First Qualifying Round of the 2007/08 UEFA cup.
• 22 July: Brann, number two in the Premiership beat the league-leader, Stabæk IF 3-0 at home. Brann took over the lead in the Premiership.
• 25 July: One man leaves, one man returns. Ardian Gashi signed with Fredrikstad after only one year in Brann. Hassan El Fakiri returns to Bergen, seven years after he left for AS Monaco.[9]
• 25 July: Brann was knocked out of the Norwegian Cup after a 0-2 loss against Viking F.K..
• 2 August: Brann advanced to the Second Qualifying Round of the 2007/08 UEFA Cup after a 6-3 winn against Carmarthen Town F.C. in the second leg of the First Qualifying Round.
• 3 August: Brann are drawn against Lithuanian side FK Sūduva in the Second Qualifying Round of the 2007/08 UEFA Cup.
• 11 August: Brann beat Rosenborg 3-2 at home, and created a 10-point gap down to the defending Premiership-champions.
• 24 August: Azar Karadas signed a 3-year contract with Brann, 5 years after he left the club. The deal between Brann and Benfica is thought to be NOK 3 million.
• 30 August: Brann advanced to the First Round of the 2007/08 UEFA Cup after beating Sūduva 6-4 over two matches.
• 30 September: Brann took a large step towards the championship after crushing Lillestrøm S.K. 5-1 away, while their closest rivals, Stabæk I.F. stumbled against F.C. Lyn Oslo on Ullevaal Stadion, where they lost 2-3. With 4 matches remaining, Brann had a 7-point gap down to Viking F.K. on second place, a club they would meet in the second to last match.
• 4 October: Brann reached the Group stage of the 2007/08 UEFA Cup on away goals after beating Club Brugge 2-1 away in the return leg.

• 8 October: Brann had one hand and four fingers on the trophy after defeating F.C. Lyn Oslo 3-1 at home, thus creating a nine-point gap down to Stabæk I.F. with three rounds remaining. Brann only needed one point, or a Stabæk-loss/draw in one of the last three matches to win the league.
• 22 October: It became official. After Stabæk lost 1-2 against Viking F.K. away, Brann became the champions for the first time in 44 years. Brann had a nine-point gap down to Stabæk, with two rounds remaining, and could thus call themselves champions for the third time in history after their wins in 1962 and 1963.
• 25 October: Brann lost their first game in the Group stage of the 2007/08 UEFA Cup after a 0-1 defeat at home against Hamburger SV.
• 28 October: Brann defeated Viking 5-2 on Brann Stadion, and was awarded the trophy as the 2007 Norwegian Premier League Champions.
• 5 November: Martin Andresen notified the fans that he would leave Brann after the season. He signed a 3-year deal with Vålerenga on 6 November.

Matches (goals)

The table shows matches and goals in the Norwegian Premier League, Norwegian Cup, Royal League and European Cup/UEFA Cup, and was last updated after the game against FC Basel on 5 December 2007.[24]

No.	Position	Player	Premiership	Norwegian Cup	Europe	Royal League	Total
1	GK	Johan Thorbjørnsen	3 (0)	3 (0)	3 (0)	1 (0)	10 (0)
12	GK	Håkon Opdal	25 (0)	1 (0)	7 (0)	2 (0)	35 (0)
24	GK	Kenneth Udjus	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)
3	DF	Bjørn Dahl	15 (0)	4 (0)	9 (0)	2 (0)	30 (0)
5	DF	Ramiro Corrales	11 (1)	3 (0)	3 (0)	0 (0)	17 (1)
15	DF	Erlend Hanstveit	19 (0)	4 (0)	9 (1)	2 (0)	34 (1)
18	DF	Ólafur Örn Bjarnason	25 (0)	3 (0)	10 (1)	2 (0)	40 (1)
21	DF	Kristján Örn Sigurðsson	24 (4)	3 (0)	7 (2)	0 (0)	34 (6)
26	DF	Knut Walde	3 (0)	0 (0)	1 (0)	0 (0)	4 (0)
6	DF/FW	Azar Karadas	8 (4)	0 (0)	6 (1)	0 (0)	14 (5)
28	DF/FW	Ármann Smári Björnsson	15 (2)	6 (5)	5 (2)	2 (0)	28 (9)
4	DF/MF	Cato Guntveit	16 (0)	2 (1)	7 (1)	2 (0)	27 (2)
6	MF	Helge Haugen	4 (0)	3 (0)	0 (0)	1 (0)	8 (0)
7	MF	Hassan El Fakiri	9 (1)	0 (0)	5 (0)	0 (0)	14 (1)
7	MF	Ardian Gashi	11 (0)	3 (0)	2 (0)	2 (0)	18 (0)
8	MF	Martin Andresen	23 (6)	1 (0)	4 (0)	2 (1)	30 (7)
9	MF	Jan Gunnar Solli	25 (2)	3 (2)	9 (2)	0 (0)	37 (6)
11	MF	Petter Vaagan Moen	25 (5)	2 (0)	8 (2)	2 (0)	37 (7)
13	MF	Erik Huseklepp	22 (1)	4 (0)	10 (1)	2 (0)	38 (2)
14	MF	Tijan Jaiteh	11 (0)	1 (0)	4 (0)	0 (0)	16 (0)
17	MF	Eirik Bakke	10 (1)	3 (0)	7 (1)	0 (0)	20 (2)
19	MF	Nicolai Misje	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)
30	MF	Arnaud Monkam	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	1 (0)	1 (0)
20	MF/FW	Trond Fredrik Ludvigsen	1 (0)	2 (1)	0 (0)	1 (0)	4 (1)
9	FW	Migen Memelli	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	1 (0)	1 (0)
10	FW	Bengt Sæternes	10 (5)	1 (2)	0 (0)	1 (0)	12 (7)
16	FW	Joakim Sjöhage	3 (0)	0 (0)	3 (0)	0 (0)	6 (0)
22	FW	Thorstein Helstad	24 (22)	2 (1)	7 (3)	2 (1)	35 (27)
77	FW	Robbie Winters	19 (5)	4 (3)	5 (7)	0 (0)	28 (15)

References

1. - Der kunne du blitt helten, Erik ("There you could have been the hero Erik") VG, 20 October 2007(in Norwegian)
2. Brann er årets seriemester ("Brann is the year's league champion") NRK, 22 October 2007 (in Norwegian)
3. 100% Fotball Archived 24 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
4. "Brann kaprer Corrales" (in Norwegian). brann.no. 22 April 2007. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 19 September 2007.
5. 100% Fotball Archived 20 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
6. Solli klar for Brann - P4 Radio Hele Norge
7. 100% Fotball Archived 20 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine
8. 100% Fotball Archived 20 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine
9. Erli Berg Daneshmand, Tore Nilssen (25 July 2007). "El Fakiri til Brann - Gashi til FFK" (in Norwegian). bt.no. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 26 July 2007.
10. Sportsklubben Brann - Ekte lidenskap har et navn Archived 24 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine
11. Sportsklubben Brann - Ekte lidenskap har et navn
12. "Ystaas klar for Notodden" (in Norwegian). Telen. 14 December 2006. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
13. Sportsklubben Brann - Ekte lidenskap har et navn Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
14. Forlater Brann (FotballMagasinet.no) Archived 24 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
15. Roar Lyngøy (22 April 2007). "Memelli solgt til GAIS" (in Norwegian). bt.no. Archived from the original on 1 April 2007. Retrieved 22 April 2007.
16. 100% Fotball Archived 16 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
17. Strømsgodset Archived 9 November 2007 at the Wayback Machine
18. 100% Fotball Archived 10 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine
19. 100% Fotball Archived 13 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
20. "Snitt på 17 000 så langt denne sesongen". SK Brann. 21 May 2007. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 19 September 2007.
21. "Brann.no's list of results 2007". Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 18 January 2008.
22. "Ramiro Corrales kan glippe for Brann" (in Norwegian). bt.no. 22 April 2007. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 19 September 2007.
23. "Corrales blir spilleklar" (in Norwegian). bt.no. 22 April 2007. Archived from the original on 17 March 2007. Retrieved 22 April 2007.
24. Sportsklubben Brann - Ekte lidenskap har et navn Archived 28 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine