Stig Inge Bjørnebye
Bjørnebye in 2017
Personal information
Full name Stig Inge Bjørnebye[1]
Date of birth (1969-12-11) 11 December 1969
Place of birth Elverum, Norway
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Left back
Youth career
1985–1987 Elverum
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1987–1988 Strømmen 19 (0)
1989–1992 Kongsvinger 62 (3)
1992 Rosenborg 21 (3)
1992–2000 Liverpool 139 (2)
1994 → Rosenborg (loan) 8 (0)
2000 → Brøndby (loan) 13 (2)
2000–2003 Blackburn Rovers 55 (1)
Total 317 (11)
International career
1989–2000 Norway 75 (1)
Managerial career
2003–2006 Norway (assistant manager)
2006–2007 IK Start
2015–2019 Rosenborg (Sports Director)
2021– AGF Aarhus (Sports Director)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Stig Inge Bjørnebye (born 11 December 1969) is a Norwegian former professional footballer who played in Norway, England, and Denmark, most notably for Liverpool, and is currently the sports director of the Danish football club AGF Aarhus. His preferred position was left back, which he occupied for domestic clubs and the national team. Bjørnebye was appointed assistant manager of Norway in 2003, relinquishing the role three years later to succeed Tom Nordlie as manager of IK Start. He was the sports director of Rosenborg Ballklub from March 2015 until November 2019.

For club and country, Bjørnebye was noted for his precise deliveries from the flanks. Described as a "solid, no-nonsense full-back",[2] Bjørnebye played competitive football for 16 years, and appeared in 194 Premier League matches, until injury compelled retirement in March 2003. He played for the Norwegian national team in the 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cup and the Euro 2000 and was capped 75 times, scoring once.

Club career

Stig Inge Bjørnebye was born in Elverum, the son of skier Jo Inge Bjørnebye, who competed in the 1968 and 1972 Winter Olympics. As a child, Bjørnebye exhibited an interest in emulating his father by becoming a ski jumper.[3]

His footballing career began as a youth player with home club Elverum IL, before joining Strømmen IF in the late 1980s.[4] He moved to Kongsvinger IL in 1989, establishing himself as a first-team regular in the Norwegian top division. After three seasons with Kongsvinger, he transferred to Rosenborg in 1992, where he in his inaugural season won the Norwegian top division and the Norwegian Cup,[3] in the final of which he scored the deciding goal against Lillestrøm SK.[5]

His performances merited inclusion in the national team and attracted the attention of Liverpool's manager Graeme Souness, who bought Bjørnebye for £600,000 less than one year after moving to Rosenborg.[5] Signed as a replacement for David Burrows, Bjørnebye debuted inauspiciously on 19 December 1992 in a 5–1 defeat to Coventry City.[6] Initial difficulties adapting to the Premier League caused many fans to question his displays on the pitch and he returned to Norway on loan to Rosenborg in 1994.[2][7]

Bjørnebye's experiences as a Reds' player in the 1994–95 season, under the management of Roy Evans, were markedly more successful than that of previous campaigns.[7] He gained a regular place in the senior team, supplanting the left back position from Julian Dicks, and featured in the 2–1 win against Bolton Wanderers in the final of the 1995 League Cup Final on 2 April 1995.[7][8] Subsequent injury, a broken leg sustained on 5 April 1995 in a 3–1 win match against Southampton,[9] terminated his season and he was replaced by Steve Harkness.[2]

"I am not very good at [remembering what my fondest footballing memories are] but if I had to pick, I would say my time with Rosenborg, the World Cup game against Mexico in 1994 and my three cup finals – at Ullevaal, Wembley and the Millennium Stadium,"

UEFA.com, 11 March 2003.[10]

Unavailable for several months, Bjørnebye appeared just twice for Liverpool in the 1995–96 season.[7] Recovery and injuries to other left back candidates enabled Bjørnebye to reclaim his place the following season, in which he scored his first goal for Liverpool on 17 August 1996 in a 3–3 draw against Middlesbrough.[11] He contributed to the club's most convincing title challenge since the inception of the Premier League by supplying club strikers Stan Collymore and Robbie Fowler with precise crosses.[5] He was ultimately included in the PFA Team of the Year with Steve McManaman and Mark Wright.[12] The acquisition of Steve Staunton and arrival of Gérard Houllier in the 1998–99 season, limited Bjørnebye's first-team opportunities, leading to his effective marginalisation.[7][13] Bjørnebye affirmed his recurring determination to stay at Liverpool that season, remarking "If I didn't have any fight in my stomach I'd have left Liverpool at least three times before".[13]

Unable to displace Staunton and Dominic Matteo, Bjørnebye agreed to a loan move to Danish side Brøndby IF in 2000,[7] who finished second in the Danish Superliga with Bjørnebye on the team.[3] He decided to permanently leave Liverpool after returning from the European Championship, accepting a £300,000 transfer to Blackburn Rovers that reunited him with former manager Graeme Souness.[14] Promotion to the Premier League was achieved in his first year with Rovers, in the process, Bjørnebye scored his only goal for the club on 11 November 2000, in a 2–2 draw against Portsmouth.[15] His final trophy was gained when Blackburn defeated Tottenham Hotspur 2–1 in the 2002 League Cup Final.[16] Successive injuries after the cup victory disrupted and eventually ended his career as a footballer. While preparing for the 2002–03 season, Bjørnebye fractured his eye socket in a training accident. He complained of double vision, underwent surgery, and was rendered unavailable for seven months. Further injury inflicted during a League Cup match on 17 December 2002, in a 2–0 win against Wigan Athletic escalated, while Bjørnebye was recovering in Norway, necessitating emergency surgery to avert the possibility of foot amputation.[17] Bjørnebye announced his retirement on 11 March 2003. Blackburn manager Graeme Souness reacted to the decision with a statement:

It's a very sad day. As far as I am concerned it could hardly be worse for Stig is the consummate dedicated professional. He is as good a professional as any I have worked with, I couldn’t name anybody better and he is [a] fine role model and a proper, proper human being. Stig has had a wonderful career, it's a great shame that it has to end with a freak training-ground accident as he felt, quite rightly, that he could have played longer.[18]

International career

Bjørnebye was capped 75 times by Norway, scoring once – an olympic goal in a 1–0 friendly against the United States on 8 September 1993. Having represented his country at youth, under-21, and "B" level,[2] Bjørnebye debuted for the senior team on 31 May 1989 against Austria.[19] The majority of his caps were collected during Egil Olsen's eight-year tenure as manager of Norway. Under Olsen's guidance, Norway employed a "long ball" policy that was contingent on the height of Olsen's squad.[20] The tactic of directing long passes to the tall winger Jostein Flo, principally delivered by Bjørnebye, became popularly referred to in Norway as the "Flo Pass" (Flo-pasningen).[3] Although criticised for employing the long-ball approach and maintaining a defensively-orientated mentality, Olsen secured qualification for the World Cups of 1994 and 1998.[20] Bjørnebye participated in both tournaments – seven matches in total.[21]

He decided to retire from international football after the 1998 World Cup, intending to focus on his domestic career and family. Bjørnebye unexpectedly reversed his decision after Nils Johan Semb persuaded him to return to the squad for Euro 2000.[22][23] Unused in Norway's 1–0 win against Spain on 13 June 2000, Bjørnebye was first introduced to the competition in the second match of the group stage, in a 0–1 loss on 18 June 2000 against Yugoslavia, as a 35-minute substitute for his Liverpool colleague Vegard Heggem.[24] He retained his place, featuring in the goalless draw against Slovenia on 21 June 2000, which eliminated Norway from the tournament.[25][26] His final international match was in a 1–1 draw World Cup qualifier on 7 October 2000 against Wales,[27] placing him ninth in the overall record of appearances for Norway as of 2007.[19]

Managerial career

Bjørnebye returned to football in a non-playing capacity when he was selected by the Norwegian Football Association to replace Harald Aabrekk as Norway's assistant manager, subordinate to the newly appointed Åge Hareide. Prior to the announcement, the media in England had reported that Bjørnebye was considering maintaining a relationship with Blackburn by becoming a scout for the club.[28] He vacated his position in 2006 to succeed Tom Nordlie as manager of IK Start. Success was forthcoming in his first season; the club competed in Europe and Bjørnebye was the highest earning coach of the season, ahead of his predecessor Nordlie, with an income of almost seven million krone.[29] His appointment lasted two seasons, ending with dismissal in September 2007, after a series of poor results that placed the club in serious danger of being relegated from the Tippeligaen.[30] He was replaced by Benny Lennartsson, who was unable to preserve the club's premier league status; Start were relegated to Norway's second tier.[31]

On 15 March 2015, Stig Inge Bjørnebye succeeded Erik Hoftun as the sports director of Eliteserien club, Rosenborg Ballklub.[32] He since has won The Double with Rosenborg Ballklub two years in a row, in 2015 and 2016. Rosenborg Ballklub is the first club in the history of Norwegian football to do so two years in a row.[33] As the sports director of Rosenborg Ballklub he has many responsibilities, among many others signing on new players and renewing contracts with existing players. The most notable signing came on 6 March 2017: Nicklas Bendtner signed on for a three-year contract with the Norwegian side. This was the most surprising and most notable signing in the history of Norwegian football.[34] Teammate Pål André Helland commented: "It shouldn't come as a surprise if he becomes the top scorer and we win the league."[35]

Personal life

Bjørnebye is married to the former Byåsen IL handball player Hege Frøseth, with whom he has three children.[3]

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[4][5][36]
Club Season League National cup League cup Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Strømmen IF 1987 2. divisjon 0000000000
1988 1. divisjon 190000000190
Total 190000000190
Kongsvinger IL 1989 1. divisjon 212000000212
1990 1. divisjon 200000000200
1991 Tippeligaen 211000000211
Total 623000000623
Rosenborg 1992 Tippeligaen 213000000213
Liverpool 1992–93 Premier League 110200000130
1993–94 Premier League 90100000100
1994–95 Premier League 310607000440
1995–96 Premier League 2000000020
1996–97 Premier League 382204082524
1997–98 Premier League 250003040320
1998–99 Premier League 230202040310
1999–2000 Premier League 0000000000
Total 13921301601621844
Rosenborg (loan) 1994 Tippeligaen 8000000080
Brøndby IF (loan) 1999–2000 Danish Superliga 132000000132
Blackburn Rovers 2000–01 Premier League 321302000371
2001–02 Premier League 230203000280
2002–03 Premier League 0000100010
Total 551506000661
Career total 3171118022016237313

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year[4]
National teamYearAppsGoals
Norway 198960
199040
199130
1992100
199381
1994100
199530
199660
199780
1998120
199900
200050
Total751
Scores and results list Norway's goal tally first, score column indicates score after Bjørnebye goal.
International goal scored by Stig Inge Bjørnebye
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
18 September 1993Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway United States1–01–0Friendly

Managerial statistics

Source:[37]
Team From To Record
GWDLWin %
Start 15 July 2006 5 September 2007 40 13 8 19 032.50
Total 40 13 8 19 032.50

Honours

Rosenborg

Liverpool

Blackburn Rovers

Individual

References

  1. ↑ "Stig Inge Bjørnebye" (in Norwegian). Football Association of Norway. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Matthews, Tony (2006). Who's Who of Liverpool. Edinburgh: Mainstream Publishing. p. 31. ISBN 1-84596-140-4.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Stig Inge Bjørnebye" (in Norwegian). NRK. 3 September 2007. Retrieved 3 February 2008.
  4. 1 2 3 "Bjørnebye, Stig Inge". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 21 January 2008.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Stig Inge Bjørnebye". LFChistory. Retrieved 10 January 2011.
  6. ↑ Rees, Jasper (20 December 1992). "Football: Coventry shatter Liverpool illusions". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 29 September 2017. Retrieved 14 January 2011.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Stig Inge Bjørnebye". Liverpool F.C. Retrieved 10 January 2011.
  8. ↑ Moore, Glenn (3 April 1995). "Liverpool prevail in cup final to savour". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 10 January 2011.
  9. ↑ "Bjrnebye's despair". The Independent. London. 7 April 1995. Archived from the original on 27 April 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2011.
  10. ↑ "Bjørnebye succumbs to eye injury". UEFA. 11 March 2003. Retrieved 10 January 2011.
  11. ↑ Turnbull, Simon (18 August 1996). "Absolutely Fabrizio for Boro". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 10 January 2011.
  12. ↑ "Pick of the Premiership". The Football Association. 26 April 2005. Retrieved 10 January 2011.
  13. 1 2 "Bjornebye growls a goodbye". The People. 20 September 1998.
  14. ↑ "Bjornebye seals Rovers deal". BBC Sport. BBC. 26 June 2000. Retrieved 5 February 2008.
  15. ↑ "Portsmouth 2–2 Blackburn". BBC Sport. BBC. 11 November 2000. Retrieved 15 September 2009.
  16. ↑ "Cole strike stuns Spurs". BBC Sport. BBC. 24 February 2002. Retrieved 10 January 2011.
  17. ↑ "Bjornebye in foot fear". BBC Sport. BBC. 17 January 2003. Retrieved 6 February 2008.
  18. ↑ "Retiring Bjornebye says bye-bye". Breaking News. 11 March 2003. Retrieved 10 January 2011.
  19. 1 2 "Norway – Record International Players". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 4 May 2013. Retrieved 6 February 2008.
  20. 1 2 "Norway's style won't change without Olsen". CNN Sports Illustrated. CNN. 28 June 1998. Archived from the original on 18 February 2008. Retrieved 7 February 2008.
  21. ↑ "Stig BJORNEBYE". FIFA. Archived from the original on 11 October 2008. Retrieved 7 February 2008.
  22. ↑ "Premiership stars in Norway squad". BBC Sport. BBC. 29 May 2000. Retrieved 10 January 2011.
  23. ↑ "Stig Inge Bjornebye". BBC Sport. BBC. 29 May 2000. Retrieved 6 February 2008.
  24. ↑ "Yugoslavs ease past Norway". BBC Sport. BBC. 18 June 2000. Retrieved 10 January 2011.
  25. ↑ "Norway crash out after Slovenia draw". BBC Sport. BBC. 21 June 2000. Retrieved 10 January 2011.
  26. ↑ "Norway crash out after Slovenia draw". ESPNSoccernet. ESPN. Archived from the original on 17 May 2008. Retrieved 7 February 2008.
  27. ↑ "Wales – Norway". FIFA. Archived from the original on 26 November 2007. Retrieved 10 January 2011.
  28. ↑ "New Role Stig". Lancashire Evening Telegraph. 10 December 2003. Retrieved 10 January 2011.
  29. ↑ Elster, Kristian (12 October 2007). "Bjørnebye best betalte trener". NRK Sport (in Norwegian). NRK. Retrieved 7 February 2008.
  30. ↑ Rake, Jamel; K. Christiansen, Anders (5 September 2007). "Det er mitt ansvar". Verdens Gang (in Norwegian). Retrieved 7 February 2008.
  31. ↑ Aarre, Elvind (4 November 2007). "Torrid finish for Start". UEFA. Retrieved 10 January 2011.
  32. ↑ "Stig Inge Bjørnebye". Rosenborg (in Norwegian Bokmål). Archived from the original on 31 March 2017. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
  33. ↑ Holberg, Jonas A. (20 November 2016). "Rosenborg tok en historisk dobbel etter kalasseier i cupfinalen". www.t-a.no (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 31 March 2017.
  34. ↑ "Nicklas Bendtner seals transfer from Nottingham Forest to Rosenborg". Sky Sports. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
  35. ↑ AS, TV 2. "Bendtner på plass hos RBK: - Det bør ikke komme som en overraskelse om han blir toppscorer og vi tar gull". TV 2 (in Norwegian). Retrieved 31 March 2017.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  36. ↑ "Stig Inge Bjornebye". ESPNSoccernet. Archived from the original on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 11 January 2011.
  37. ↑ "Stig Inge Björnebye". footballdatabase.eu. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
  38. ↑ Hugman, Barry J., ed. (1997). The 1997–98 Official PFA Footballers Factfile. Harpenden: Queen Anne Press. p. 317. ISBN 978-1-85291-581-0.
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