The 2016 Tippeligaen was the 72nd completed season of top-tier football in Norway. The competition began on 11 March 2016. Due to the 2016 UEFA European Championship, there was a break between the rounds played on 29 May and 3 July. The decisive matches of the home-and-away season were played on 6 November 2016. A promotion/relegation play-off between the third-from-bottom team of the Tippeligaen and the winner of the promotion play-offs of the 2016 1. divisjon was contested on 30 November and 4 December 2016.
The league was contested by 16 teams: the 13 best teams of the 2015 season; the two teams who won direct promotion from the 2015 1. divisjon, Sogndal and Brann; and Start, who won the promotion/relegation play-off finals against Jerv.
The 2016 season was the last season the league was named Tippeligaen. The league changed its name to Eliteserien ahead of the 2017 season, a non-sponsor affiliated name controlled by the Football Association of Norway.
Teams Sixteen teams competed in the league – the top fourteen teams from the previous season, and two teams promoted from 1. divisjon.
Stadia and locations
Note: Table lists in alphabetical order. Team Location Arena Turf Capacity Aalesund 15 Ålesund Color Line Stadion Artificial10,778 Bodø/Glimt 22 Bodø Aspmyra Stadion Artificial7,354 Brann 59 Bergen Brann Stadion Natural 17,686 Haugesund 10 Haugesund Haugesund Stadion Natural8,754 Lillestrøm 53 Lillestrøm Åråsen Stadion Natural12,250 Molde 40 Molde Aker Stadion Artificial11,800 Odd 35 Skien Skagerak Arena Artificial12,500 Rosenborg 53 Trondheim Lerkendal Stadion Natural 21,405 Sarpsborg 08 5 Sarpsborg Sarpsborg Stadion Artificial4,700 Sogndal 17 Sogndalsfjøra Fosshaugane Campus Artificial 5,539 Stabæk 20 Bærum Nadderud Stadion Natural7,000 Start 40 Kristiansand Sør Arena Artificial14,563 Strømsgodset 29 Drammen Marienlyst Stadion Artificial8,935 Tromsø 29 Tromsø Alfheim Stadion Artificial6,859 Vålerenga 56 Oslo Ullevaal Stadion Natural28,000 Viking 67 Stavanger Viking Stadion Natural16,300
Personnel and kits Team Manager Kit manufacturer Sponsor Aalesund Trond Fredriksen Umbro Sparebanken Møre Brann Lars Arne Nilsen Hummel Sparebanken Vest Bodø/Glimt Aasmund Bjørkan Diadora Sparebanken Nord-Norge Haugesund Andrea Loberto Macron Sparebanken Vest Lillestrøm Arne Erlandsen Legea DNB ASA Molde Ole Gunnar Solskjær Nike Sparebanken Møre Odd Dag-Eilev Fagermo New Balance Skagerak Energi Rosenborg Kåre Ingebrigtsen Adidas SpareBank 1 SMN Sarpsborg 08 Geir Bakke Select Borregaard Sogndal Eirik Bakke Umbro Sparebanken Vest Stabæk Antoni Ordinas Adidas SpareBank 1 Oslo Akershus Start Steinar Pedersen Umbro Sparebanken Sør Strømsgodset Tor Ole Skullerud Puma DNB ASA Tromsø Bård Flovik Select Sparebanken Nord-Norge Vålerenga Kjetil Rekdal Umbro DNB Viking Kjell Jonevret Diadora Lyse Energi
Managerial changes Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Table Incoming manager Date of appointment Table Stabæk Bob Bradley Contract expired 10 November 2015 Pre-season Billy McKinlay 30 November 2015 Pre-season Bodø/Glimt Jan Halvor Halvorsen Contract expired 18 November 2015 Pre-season Aasmund Bjørkan 18 November 2015 Pre-season Start Bård Borgersen Contract expired 31 December 2015 Pre season Steinar Pedersen 1 January 2016 Pre season Haugesund Jostein Grindhaug Contract expired 31 December 2015 Pre season Mark Dempsey 1 January 2016 Pre season Stabæk Billy McKinlay Resigned 8 July 2016 15th Antoni Ordinas 8 July 2016 15th Haugesund Mark Dempsey Resigned 14 July 2016 6th Andrea Loberto 14 July 2016 6th Lillestrøm Rúnar Kristinsson Sacked 18 September 2016 15th Arne Erlandsen 19 September 2016 15th Strømsgodset Bjørn Petter Ingebretsen Resigned 13 October 2016 8th Tor Ole Skullerud 18 October 2016 8th Vålerenga Kjetil Rekdal Structural changes 21 October 2016 11th Ronny Deila 21 October 2016 11th
League table
Positions by round
Results
Relegation play-offs
The 14th-placed team, Stabæk, took part in a two-legged play-off against Jerv, the winners of the 2016 1. divisjon promotion play-offs, to decide who would play in the 2017 Eliteserien.
Stabæk won 2–1 on aggregate and retained their place in the 2017 Eliteserien; Jerv remained in the 1. divisjon.
Season statistics Top scorers RankPlayerClubGoalsGamesAverage1 Christian Gytkjær Rosenborg19280,682 Mos Aalesund13290,453 Fitim Azemi Bodø/Glimt11290,384 Olivier Occéan Odd10280,36 Torbjørn Agdestein Haugesund10300,336 Fred Friday Lillestrøm8140,57 Marcus Pedersen Strømsgodset8190,42 Ghayas Zahid Vålerenga8280,29 Mike Jensen Rosenborg8280,29 Thomas Lehne Olsen Tromsø8300,27
Hat-tricks
Player For Against Result Date Kristoffer Tokstad Sarpsborg 08 Start 4–1 (A) Mos Aalesund Tromsø 6–0 (H) Christian Gytkjær Rosenborg Lillestrøm 4–3 (A) Espen Ruud Odd Lillestrøm 4–2 (A)
Notes (H) – Home team(A) – Away team
Discipline Player
Most yellow cards: 10 Kjetil Wæhler (Vålerenga) Most red cards: 2 Francisco Júnior (Strømsgodset) Frode Kippe (Lillestrøm)
Club Most yellow cards: 56 Brann
Most red cards: 4 Strømsgodset
Attendances
Awards Annual awards Award Winner ClubPlayer of the Year Mike Jensen RosenborgGoalkeeper of the Year Piotr Leciejewski BrannDefender of the Year Jonas Svensson RosenborgMidfielder of the Year Mike Jensen RosenborgStriker of the Year Christian Gytkjær RosenborgManager of the Year
Lars Arne NilsenBrannYoung Player of the Year Sander Berge Vålerenga
References