The Norwegian outfit located on the Stavanger Peninsula in southwest Norway lead the league by one point over Bodo/Glimt, and a victory in their final match at home against Valenga would secure the championship. Viking Stadium, with a capacity of 16.600, has been sold out for months while 50.000 people, a third of Stavanger's population, are expected in the town centre for huge celebrations should they get the job done.
Viking have won eight championships (the third-most league titles in Norway’s Eliteserien), including four successive titles from 1972 to 1975, but have not finished higher than third since claiming their most recent triumph in 1991.
In 2020, Viking finished no less than 37 points behind Bodo/Glimt; today, they are one point ahead of them in many ways, thanks to the development that the former Erik Nevland laid the foundation for when he was promoted to sports director in 2021. In this exclusive interview with Flashscore, which Nevland barely had time to squeeze in during a very hectic week, the former Norwegian international speaks about how relegation in 2018 turned into a blessing in disguise for the once-struggling club.
Nevland also offers a fascinating insight into working with two head coaches, how to make an abundance of players gel on the pitch, the competition and inspiration from Bodo, as well as the incredible success that Norwegian club football and the national team are experiencing at the moment.
Flashscore: You can win the first championship at the club in 34 years on Sunday. How would you describe the current atmosphere at the club?
Nevland: "When one amazing season comes down to one game, then you are, of course, very nervous, and we feel the pressure. But we try to remain cool and maintain the same approach to the game that we have had with the others. The whole city is turned upside down, and the place is buzzing as I have never seen it before. We could easily have sold out the stadium two or three times."
In 2018, the club was in the second division and allegedly close to filing for bankruptcy. What would you say have been the most important steps taken by the club since then to reach the level where you are today?
"It was a very bad situation. There was no money, and the club really struggled on the pitch, so everyone knew that something had to change. But sometimes relegation can be a good thing, and for Viking, it was an eye-opener. Firmly establishing the youth academy and putting our faith in young, homegrown players was the road back to success, while we also took steps to get the city more involved in the club in terms of launching cooperations with fans and local businesses."
"Today, we have young local people in the organisation with the desire to succeed and with a big heart for Viking. We don’t really see Viking as a career path or a step towards something else. More than anything, people put the success of the club over individual gain."
It's fairly unusual in clubs that you have two head coaches (Bjarte Lunde Aarsheim and Morten Jensen) with equal responsibility. Why has it worked so well at Viking?
"You know, I always get that question, and the answer is just the special chemistry between these two guys. I don’t think it could have worked with someone else. Their career pathways complement each other, and their experience and knowledge of the game blend in. At the same time, they allow each other to have individual success, so it's not always about the duo."
When you talk about Norwegian club football, most people will probably point to Bodo, as they have been recognised all over the world for their performances. Are there examples of the way they have improved up there that you may also find at Viking?
"First of all, what Bodo has done has been exceptional. There is no question that they raised the bar in Norwegian football, and it has been a tremendous inspiration for us. We have a lot of similarities. They also started building their club when they were relegated and gained success with a lot of young players coming through their academy. Financially, they are now way ahead of us, but they are an inspiration of what can be achieved, but we won’t copy what they are doing; we have to find our own way, our own identity in achieving that success."
What has worked so well for you on the pitch this season?
"We don’t have a lot of players in the squad who were also there in 2021, when I took over as sports director. More than anything, we have been great at integrating people. Last year, we had six or seven players from the academy making their debut in the team, and this year we signed nine players, so it has been hard work to make everyone blend into our playing philosophy."
Should Viking win the title, what will be the biggest task for you before the Champions League qualification next year? Are there some areas where you think you need to improve to get ready for the qualification?
"There are always areas where you can do things differently, where you can improve, but we mustn’t lose ourselves in the process if we win the title and suddenly have to face qualification for the Champions League. To suddenly change some things because we have reached a goal would be the wrong way to go. We shouldn’t do any crazy stuff in our efforts to compete with Bodo. Financially, they are in a totally different league; we shouldn’t try to copy them but instead focus on ourselves."
People outside of Norway will probably be surprised that there is a team in Norway that is currently better than Bodo. If you add that to the success that the Norwegian national team has had, how do you explain the abundance of talent in Norway right now?
"The success that Norwegian football is experiencing right now didn’t happen overnight. Norwegian football wasn’t in a good place ten or fifteen years ago. We realised that we couldn't bring mediocre Icelandic players into the league and stop our own talents from playing. And you are starting to see the effect of the now.
"At the same time, when you get guys like (Erling Braut) Haaland and (Martin) Odegaard, it shows young footballers that you can play at Bryne and become the best player in the world. We launched the platform for success back then, and now the snowball just keeps rolling."