Northern Ireland v Norway Official Match Programme

LAGERBACK AND NORTHERN IRELAND!

Tonight’s match will be the third time Lars Lagerback has been in charge of a team to play against Northern Ireland. His first two matches were as coach of Sweden in the Euro 2008 qualifiers. In March 2007 Sweden lost 2-1 at Windsor Park and seven months later Northern Ireland drew 1-1 against the Swedes in Solna. MOST CAPPED PLAYERS John Arne Riise 2000-13 110 Monaco, Liverpool, Roma, Fulham Thorbjørn Svenssen 1947-62 104 Sandefjord Henning Berg 1992-2004 100 Lillestrøm, Blackburn, Manchester United, Rangers Erik Thorstvedt 1982-96 97 Viking, Eik, Borussia M'Gladbach, Vålerenga, Rosenborg, Valencia, Roma, Besiktas, Lyon, Aston Villa, Stoke, West Ham Brede Hangeland 2002-14 Viking, FC København, Fulham Oyvind Leonhardsen 1990-2003 86 Molde, Rosenborg, Wimbledon, Liverpool, Tottenham, Aston Villa 91 IFK Göteborg, Tottenham John Carew 1998-2011 91

Egil Olsen, Norway’s most famous coach, was in charge when the Norwegians last played in Belfast in 2012.

NORWAY’S FAMOUS COACH Egil Olsen is the most successful national coach in his country's footballing history. The 69-year-old former midfielder, who earned his nickname Drillo for his dribbling skills on the wing, had two spells in charge of Norway as well as winning 16 caps between 1964 and 1971. Olsen took Norway to two World Cup finals in his first spell in charge between 1990 and 1998 - to the USA in 1994 and France four years later where his charges achieved arguably their greatest ever result, defeating Brazil 2-1 in the opening round. After WC 1998 he returned to club football, coaching Valerenga (Oslo) until he joined Wimbledon in June 1999. But his spell with the Dons ended in tears when he was sacked two games before the end of the 1999-2000 season, and shortly after Wimbledon were relegated after 15 years in the top flight. Spells with Norway’s U19s, club side Fredrikstad and the Iraq national team followed before he became Norway’s national coach for a second time in January 2009. And Norway celebrated a famous victory in his return game: away to Germany in Dusseldorf (1-0) in February 2009. He almost took his charges to Euro 2012, just missing out on the play-offs. But that momentum was not continued when Norway finished fourth in their World Cup 2014 qualifying campaign. He was dismissed in September 2013 with Per- Mathias Hogmo taking his place.

TOP GOALSCORERS Jørgen Juve 45 caps 1928-1937 Lyn Einar Gundersen 33 caps 1917-1928 Odd, Tønsberg Turn Harald Hennum 43 caps 1949-1960 Skeid, Frigg John Carew 91 caps 1998-2011

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Vålerenga, Rosenborg, Valencia, Roma, Besiktas, Lyon, Aston Villa, Stoke, West Ham Tore Andre Flo 76 caps 1995-2004 23 Tromsø, Brann, Chelsea, Rangers, Sunderland, Siena Ole Gunnar Solskjær 67 caps 1995-2007 23 Molde, Manchester United

Courtesy of rsssf.no

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