Molde FK History

Welcome to our article about Molde FK history! Molde Fotballklubb is a professional football team based in Molde, Norway, that plays in the Eliteserien, Norway's top division. The club was founded on June 19, 1911, as International, and changed its name to Molde in 1915.

Molde is a four-time league champion (2011, 2012, 2014, 2019) and a four-time Norwegian Cup winner (1994, 2005, 2013, 2014), as well as a nine-time league runner-up. Molde is one of just two clubs in Norway to have competed in the UEFA Champions League.

The club's home games are held at the 11,249-seat Aker Stadion. The stadium was built as a gift from local businesses Kjell Inge Rkke and Bjrn Rune Gjelsten and opened in 1998. The club was once situated at Molde stadion, which held the club's all-time attendance record of 14,615. Molde's fan club, Tornekrattet ("Thicket of Thorns," a play on the city's moniker "The Town of Roses"), was created following the 1994 Norwegian Cup final triumph. Molde's main rivalry is with Rosenborg.

Until the early 1970s, the team primarily competed in local lower-level divisions, with the exception of a brief appearance in the Hovedserien during the 1957–58 season. Molde returned to the top flight in 1974, finishing second in the league, and has since become one of Norway's major clubs, regularly remaining in the top flight. Molde also finished second in the league in 1987, losing the crown to Moss in the season's last match.

Let's start to learn Molde FK history

Molde was

's second-best team in the 1990s and early 2000s, winning league silver medals in 1995, 1998, 1999, and 2002, as well as cup championships in 1994 and 2005, and participation in the UEFA Champions League in the 1999–2000 season, when Real Madrid, Porto, and Olympiacos all came to Molde.

As of 2017, the club has over 1,000 members and 55 teams spread across three departments. Erling Moe has been the club's manager since taking over as a caretaker manager on December 19, 2018, after

left to take over as caretaker manager at Manchester United. On April 29, 2019, it was reported that Moe has signed a deal to serve as the team's permanent head coach until the 2020 season.

The birth of the Molde FK

Molde FK was created on June 19, 1911, by a group led by Klaus Daae Andersen, with J. Ferdinand Dahl serving as the founding chairman. After a public election on April 24, 1912, it was agreed that the club would be called International, either because the opponents were mostly guests from cruise ships or commercial vessels, or to make way for the numerous Danes who worked in the Gideon engine manufacturing.

The same year, on 5 August, the club played its first competitive match, a 2–2 away loss against

. In 1915, due to increased interest and participation in football in neighboring towns, the club changed its name to Molde Fotballklubb.

The club's debut season in the top flight occurred in 1939–40, however, the season was cut short due to German occupation and was never finished. Molde were demoted from the top division in the first postwar season, 1947–48.

Molde stunned nine-time Norwegian Cup champions and nine-time Norwegian League champions Fredrikstad by eliminating them from the 1964 Norwegian Cup in the third round with a 3–2 home victory on August 2, 1964. Molde was home to Jan Fuglset, Torkild Brakstad, and Harry Hestad, among others, at the time.

Except for a brief appearance in the top level during the 1957–58 season, the team competed in the local lesser leagues. Molde was promoted to the second division in 1970 and remained there for three seasons until being promoted to the first level with a 5–1 away win against

on September 16, 1973.

Molde returned to the first flight in 1974 after the debut of numerous promising players in the first squad, which coincided with the return of high-level players such as Fuglset, Brakstad, and Hestad. Molde startled the established teams by leading the league in 9 of 22 matchdays in their inaugural season.

division. Molde would win the league if they defeated

and Viking lost to Strmsgodset in the season finale. However, because both Molde and Viking won their last matches, Molde was awarded the silver medal, finishing one point behind winners Viking.

Molde has remained in the top flight ever since and has established itself as one of Norway's finest clubs. The club has produced a significant number of national team players as well as players who have gone on to play professionally in international competitions.

Club ups and downs

Molde did not play at the same level for two years in a row between 1978 and 1984. Molde was demoted from the 1. division every even-numbered year and promoted to the first division every odd-numbered year, for a total of three consecutive promotions and relegations. Molde and Brann did not play at the same level during these years, as Brann was promoted when Molde was demoted and vice versa.

Molde reached their first cup final in 1982, despite being demoted from the 1982 1. division. They were defeated 3–2 by

in the final at Ullevaal Stadion. Molde came closest to winning the league championship before winning it in 2011 when a draw at home against

in the penultimate round would have clinched victory.

Despite multiple scoring chances, Moss won the match 2–0 at Molde stadium, claiming the league championship and Molde's second silver medal. The 14,615 spectators set a new record at the old Molde stadion.

Molde's second cup final was in 1989. The first match against Viking finished in a 2–2 tie, and Viking won the rematch 2–1. Molde was demoted from the Norwegian top division for the second time in 1993, due to a variety of projects, the most notable of which was an addition of the main stand at Molde stadion.

Local businessmen Kjell Inge Rkke and Bjrn Rune Gjelsten began investing in the club in 1993, and since then, they have invested approximately 500 million kr in old debts, new players, and the new stadium.

The start of Molde sky

Molde's second cup final was in 1989. The first match against Viking finished in a 2–2 tie, and Viking won the rematch 2–1. Molde was demoted from the Norwegian top division for the second time in 1993, due to a variety of projects, the most notable of which was an addition of the main stand at Molde stadion.

Local businessmen Kjell Inge Rkke and Bjrn Rune Gjelsten began investing in the club in 1993, and since then they have invested approximately 500 million kr in old debts, new players, and the new stadium.

Solskjær scored 31 goals in 42 matches for Molde and was sold to Manchester United on 29 July 1996 as Molde finished in the 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.

In 1998, Molde played their first 21 matches without losing, a Norwegian record until 2009, when Rosenborg went 26 matches undefeated. In the 22nd round, Molde lost against Vålerenga while Rosenborg defeated Kongsvinger to surpass Molde at the top of the table.

Rosenborg player Mini Jakobsen subsequently said, "It was fun as long as you managed to keep up. Thank you for helping to create tension in the Premier League!" On 26 September 1998, Rosenborg won 2–0 against Molde in the 23rd round and won the championship, with Molde settling for second place.

In 1999, Molde had a successful season, finishing second in the league and reaching the semi-final of the 1999 Norwegian Cup, where they were eliminated by Brann. Molde also participated in the UEFA Champions League, where Molde was drawn against CSKA Moscow in the 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 to send Molde to the third qualifying round, where they met

.

The first leg against Mallorca ended 0–0 at home. Away at Mallorca was Molde one goal behind for a long time, but Andreas Lund became the big hero when he equalized on a penalty in the 84th minute.

With a 1–1 aggregate score, Molde qualified for the group stage on away goals, and Molde became the team from the smallest city to have qualified for the group stage of Champions League until Unirea Urziceni repeated the feat in 2009–10.

In the group stage, Molde was drawn against

, Porto, and 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.

Change of heart

Gunder Bengtsson was named head coach for two years on November 6, 2000, following the dismissal of Erik Brakstad. Bengtsson and his assistant Kalle Björklund were signed for three more years after just one season.

Gunder Bengtsson guided Molde to second place in the league in 2002, but much as when he won the league with Vlerenga in 1983 and 1984, there was little excitement surrounding the club's sixth silver medal due to defensive tactics and a lack of local players in the team.

Molde had five points in the first six games of the 2003 season. Bengtsson was sacked on May 22, 2003, and was replaced by Odd Berg. Molde were ousted in the third round of the 2003 Norwegian Cup by second-tier team

.

Molde was suffering in the relegation zone throughout the season, but with a 3–2 away win over Sogndal in the final match of the season, Molde escaped the relegation playoffs. Molde finished 11th, four points above relegation, in 2004 under Reidar Vignes, a former assistant coach under Erik Brakstad.

Molde hired Bo Johansson as head coach in 2005, and on June 15, 2005, Molde defeated Nybergsund 3–2 to go to the fourth round of the Norwegian Cup after losing in the third round for three years in a row.

Molde finished 12th in the league and had to face Moss in a relegation playoff, which Molde won 5–2 on aggregate. Molde won their second Norwegian Cup victory on November 6, 2005, when they defeated Lillestrm 4–2 after extra time in the final. Bo Johansson departed Molde after only one season, and on Christmas Eve, Arild Stavrum was named the club's new head coach.

Molde competed in the 2006–07 UEFA Cup after winning the Norwegian Cup. They were selected to meet Scottish heavyweights Rangers in the first round on August 25, 2006. They were eliminated 2–0 on aggregate after drawing 0–0 with Rangers at the Aker Stadion.

Molde was demoted the same year, after spending the previous four seasons in the relegation zone. After losing 8–0 against Stack at Nadderud in the season's second-to-last match, the relegation became final. At the end of the season, Arild Stavrum was sacked.

Stepping into the new era

After Stavrum was sacked in December 2006, Kjell Jonevret took over as head coach, despite the fact that Ove Christensen was the club's first option. Molde won the 1. division in 2007 and was promoted back to the top division under Jonevret's coaching.

Molde earned a 5–1 triumph against Vlerenga on the last day of Moldejazz 2008, as well as eliminating Brann from the cup with an astonishing 8–0 win at home four days later. Despite these impressive victories, Molde finished ninth in their first season back in the top division.

Molde, on the other hand, thwarted Rosenborg's bid for a possible double with a 5–0 triumph at Aker Stadion in the 2009 Norwegian Cup quarter-final. Molde faced local rivals Aalesunds FK in the final, where Aalesund won the Norwegian Championship in a penalty shoot-out after the score was 2–2 after extra time.

Jonevret was fired and replaced by Uwe Rösler after accumulating only 20 points in the first 22 matches of the 2010 Tippeligaen. Molde escaped relegation by collecting 20 points in the remaining eight games under Rösler's supervision.

Despite the team's dismal performance, Baye Djiby Fall, who was on loan from Lokomotiv Moscow for the season, became the first Molde player since Jan Fuglset in 1976 to be the league's top goalscorer.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's return as the coach

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, a former Molde and Manchester United player, returned to Molde to coach the club before the club's 100th anniversary in 2011. Molde lost 3–0 away to newly-promoted Sarpsborg 08 in the first round of the 2011 Tippeligaen season, his first competitive encounter.

Molde celebrated their jubilee with a 2–0 win against Sogndal on June 19, 2011, putting them atop the league standings. Molde led the league until they won their first title on 30 October 2011, when Rosenborg, the only team that could have mathematically defeated them to first place with two games remaining, lost 6–3 at home to Brann.

 Molde successfully defended their championship in 2012, defeating

1–0 on November 11th, with one match left in the season. Molde finished sixth in the 2013 Tippeligaen behind winners Strmgodset, but they overcame Rosenborg 4–2 in the 2013 Norwegian Cup final on November 24 to win the Norwegian Cup for the third time in their history. On January 2, 2014, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer departed the club to join Premier League side Cardiff City.

Molde won their first domestic league and cup double under new manager Tor Ole Skullerud in 2014, however, Skullerud was sacked in August 2015 owing to a run of disappointing performances, and Solskjaer was brought back to the squad.

On December 19, 2018, Solskjaer departed the club to join Manchester United as caretaker manager, with club director Oystein Neerland claiming that Solskjaer went on a season-long loan. However, Solskjaer was signed permanently by

in March 2019, and Molde's caretaker manager Erling Moe was appointed permanent manager on April 29. Molde won their fourth league title under Moe's leadership in his first full season in command.

A place to call home

Molde's current stadium is the Aker Stadion, formerly known as Molde Stadion, which is located in Rennes, near the central Molde shoreline. The 212 million kroner price tag was primarily paid for Swedish investor Kjell Inge Rikke, after whom the ground was called "Rkkelkka."

Molde Stadion was the official name of the new stadium until 3 May 2006, when it was renamed Aker Stadion due to a sponsorship contract with Rkke's firm Aker. The stadium was formally opened on April 18, 1998, by Prime Minister and Molde supporter Kjell Magne Bondevik. Molde beat Lillestrm 4–0 in their first home encounter of the season in front of 13,010 people.

With their own goal, Tommy Berntsen scored the first goal on Aker Stadion, while Daniel Berg Hestad was the first Molde player to score in the new stadium. Molde achieved the all-time attendance record on September 26th, when they hosted Rosenborg in front of 13,308 fans.

When Molde qualified for the group stage of the 1999–2000 UEFA Champions League, the stadium was renovated to an all-seater, with seats erected on the lower parts of the short-end stands. Because the club elected not to remove the seats later, this permanently lowered the club's capacity. Aker Stadion now has a capacity of 11,249.

Molde had been playing their home matches at Molde Idrettspark (at the time named Molde stadion), a municipal-owned multi-use stadium, since 1955 before moving to Aker Stadion at the start of the 1998 season. Molde Idrettspark opened on August 28, 1955, with a 1–0 victory over Kristiansund.

The initial match drew around 2,500 people. Molde earned a 1–1 draw against Sandefjord in the first round of the 1957–58 Norwegian Main League on July 28, 1957. When Molde was promoted to the 1. division in 1974, the main stand was extended. Molde Idrettspark has an unrivaled attendance record of 14,615 for a match versus Moss in 1987. Molde Idrettspark is now utilized by Trff and Molde 2.

Symbols and colors

Finally, we are about to finish

Molde FK history

! Molde's club colors are blue jerseys, white shorts, and white stockings, which have become the Molde FK official home outfit. Molde's traditional away colors are white shirts, blue shorts, and blue stockings, in the opposite sequence as the home outfit. Molde has always used all-blue home uniforms and all-white away kits in European competitions.

Opel agreed to be Molde's first shirt sponsor for the 1980 season. Following that, multiple short-term contracts were struck before a long-term contract with G-Sport was inked in 1992. Molde's deal with G-Sport expired in 1999, and they were sponsored for three seasons by Commit.

Sparebanken Mre became their shirt sponsor in 2003, and the agreement was extended in 2007 for a five-year period for NOK 20 million. The team extended their sponsorship with the savings bank in 2016, establishing a contract through 2019. Molde and Sparebanken Mre signed a contract extension through the end of the 2022 season in February 2020.

Umbro supplied Molde's jerseys for twelve years in the early twenty-first century, from 2002 to the end of 2013. Molde inked a four-year contract with Nike in December 2013, which began in January 2014. Thanks for reading Sportmob's article about Molde FK history.

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