- Nils Arne Eggen
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Nils Arne Eggen 
Personal information Date of birth 17 September 1941 Place of birth Orkdal, Norway Playing position Defender (retired) Club information Current club Rosenborg (Manager) Senior career* Years Team Apps† (Gls)† Orkdal 1960–1963 Rosenborg 1964–1966 Vålerengen 1966–1969 Rosenborg National team 1963–1969 Norway 29 (0) Teams managed 1971–1972 Rosenborg 1973–1974 Norway U21 1974–1977 Norway 1976 Rosenborg 1978–1982 Rosenborg 1983–1985 Orkdal 1983 Rosenborg 1986–1987 Moss 1986–1987 Norway U23 1988–1997 Rosenborg 1999–2002 Rosenborg 2010–2011 Rosenborg 2011– Orkla * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). Nils Arne Eggen (born 17 September 1941 in Orkdal, Sør-Trøndelag, Norway) 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 (he had a year off in 1998, when Trond Sollied stepped in as manager). This period is often referred to as "The Golden Age" for the club.
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Biography
Nils Arne began his active football career when he was 15 years old as a defender at Orkdal's senior team. Later on he moved to Trondheim to study, and felt it natural to join Rosenborg. Nils Arne enjoyed winning the Norwegian Football Cup with them in 1960.
In 1963 he moved to Oslo where he soon joined Vålerenga. They won the Norwegian Premier Division in 1965, before he moved back to Trondheim where he played an important role for Rosenborg when they won the Premier Division twice - and he himself won the "Player of the Year" in 1968 – before he decided to quit his football career.
He was soon appointed as Rosenborg's coach, together with Tor Røste Fossen, and in his first season (1971) they won "the double" – first time ever in the club's history. In middle of the 1970s he was the coach for the Norwegian U21 national team, and later for the senior national team.
In 1978 he was once again back as coach in Rosenborg – the team struggling in Norway's second division at that time. Two years later the team once again was among the top teams in the first division. He returned to Rosenborg after being the coach of Moss in 1986-87. At Moss he led the team to the league championship in 1987, something which was nothing less than one of the bigger surprises of Norwegian football. After Eggen left the club, they were relegated the next season.
Nils Arne resigned as manager for Rosenborg in 2002, and Åge Hareide took over as manager (who in turn was succeeded by Ola By Rise only a year later). Two of Nils Arne's last achievements was winning the Norwegian Premier Division (11th time in a row), and qualifying for the European UEFA Champions League (8th time in a row). During his spell as manager Rosenborg also won the Norwegian football cup a number of times.
After a somewhat turbulent year for Rosenborg in 2004, he was once again appointed by the club in November 2004 – this time as assistant manager/counsellor, a position he later stepped down from in 2005, when he admitted that his role hadn't worked as planned. In May 2010 he again took over as manager of Rosenborg after Erik Hamrén took over as manager of Sweden national football team. As a caretaker manager until Jan Jönsson was available to take over, Eggen led Rosenborg to their 22nd Norwegian Premier League victory.
On the 1st of November 2011 he once again returned to coaching, this time for Orkla (former Orkdal) at the fifth level of Norwegian football.
In 2003 he was awarded the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav for his effort in Norwegian football.
Football philosophy
Nils Arne Eggen's philosophy is a complex phenomenon, and he can be seen as a deep thinker within football. He has mentioned the inspiration of Dutch total football and Rinus Michels for his own work. A fundamental point was the subordination of individuals (the parts) to the whole, so that the whole could outperform the sum of talents of all its players. Often he has used the metaphor of the Rosenborg rhythm to get his message across. He has had a focus on quick and massive counter-attacks and the building of an offensive attitude in the team. The 4-3-3 system played vital parts in Eggen's philosophy as a coach.
Quotes
- "There's hope in hanging snore" - having trouble translating a Norwegian proverb on an international press conference.
- "We play with two stoppers and three spisses" - speaking about Rosenborg's tactics at a press conference before a Champions League game (stoppers meaning centre backs and spisses means forwards).
- "Congratulations, arse-football!" - (Gratulerer, rævva-fotball!), coining a new Norwegian term that's been popular ever since. Told Molde coach Åge Hareide after Rosenborg lost the semi-final of the 1994 Norwegian Football Cup.
Bibliography
- Godfoten (2000) – ISBN 82-421-0921-4
- Dikt i garderoben (2001) – ISBN 82-521-5815-3
- Godfot-arven (2005) – ISBN 82-03-23225-6
External links
Kniksen of the Year Thorstvedt (1990) · Bratseth (1991) · Bratseth (1992) · Olsen (1993) · Bratseth (1994) · H. Riise (1995) · Solskjær (1996) · Eggen (1997) · Flo (1998) · H. Berg (1999)
Mykland (2000) · Ø. Berg (2001) · Bergdølmo (2002) · Andresen (2003) · Hagen (2004) · Carew (2005) · J. Riise (2006) · Carew (2007) · Carew (2008)· Hangeland (2009)· Annan (2010)Norway national football team – Hayes (1912) · Möller (1918–?) · Halvorsen (1934–45) · Johnson (1947) · Olsen (1947–52) · Soo (1952) · Hahn (1952–55) · Lewin (1956–57) · Majowski (1957) · Larsen (1958) · Henriksen (1959) · Kment (1960–62) · Larsen (1962–66) · Kment (1967–69) · Johannessen (1970–71) · Curtis (1971–74) · Andreassen & Eggen (1975–77) · Fossen (1978–87) · Grip (1987–88) · Stadheim (1988–90) · Olsen (1990–98) · Semb (1998–03) · Hareide (2003–08) · Olsen (2009–) Categories:- Kniksen award winners
- 1941 births
- Living people
- Norwegian football managers
- Norwegian footballers
- Norway international footballers
- Rosenborg BK players
- Vålerenga Fotball players
- Moss FK managers
- Rosenborg BK managers
- Norway national football team managers
- Order of St. Olav
- Norwegian School of Sport Sciences alumni
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