The 2017 Eliteserien was the 73rd completed season of top-tier football in Norway. The season began on 1 April 2017 and ended on 26 November 2017, not including play-off matches. This was first season of Eliteserien as rebranding from Tippeligaen. Rosenborg were the defending champions, while Kristiansund and Sandefjord entered as the promoted teams from the 2016 1. divisjon.
The 2017 season saw the name of the league change from Tippeligaen (named after sponsor Norsk Tipping) to Eliteserien, a non-sponsor affiliated name controlled by the Football Association of Norway. Rosenborg won their third consecutive title and 25th top-flight title overall, with two games to spare. Rosenborg conceded only 20 goals during the season, a league record.
Overview Rebranding On 28 August 2016, the Football Association of Norway (NFF) and Norsk Toppfotball announced a rebrand; beginning with the 2017 season, the competition was known simply as Eliteserien, without any sponsor's name attached. As part of the rebranding, a new logo was introduced.
Summary Rosenborg won their third consecutive title and 25th top-flight title overall. Rosenborg were the defending champions, while Kristiansund and Sandefjord entered as the promoted teams from the 2016 1. divisjon.
Rosenborg won the league with two games to spare. Aalesund and Viking were relegated directly. Fourteenth-finishers Sogndal were relegated after losing the play-off final to Ranheim.
Teams Sixteen teams competed in the league – the top fourteen teams from the previous season, and two teams promoted from the 1. divisjon. The promoted teams were Kristiansund (first season in the top-flight) and Sandefjord, (returning to the top flight after a season's absence). They replaced Bodø/Glimt and Start ending their top flight spells of three and four years respectively.
Stadia and locations
Note: Table lists in alphabetical order. Team Location Arena Turf Capacity Aalesund 16 Ålesund Color Line Stadion Artificial10,778 Brann 60 Bergen Brann Stadion Natural 17,686 Haugesund 11 Haugesund Haugesund Stadion Natural8,754 Kristiansund 1 Kristiansund Kristiansund Stadion Artificial 4,000 Lillestrøm 54 Lillestrøm Åråsen Stadion Natural 12,250 Molde 41 Molde Aker Stadion Artificial11,800 Odd 36 Skien Skagerak Arena Artificial12,500 Rosenborg 54 Trondheim Lerkendal Stadion Natural 21,405 Sandefjord 6 Sandefjord Komplett Arena Natural6,582 Sarpsborg 08 6 Sarpsborg Sarpsborg Stadion Artificial4,700 Sogndal 18 Sogndalsfjøra Fosshaugane Campus Artificial 5,539 Stabæk 21 Bærum Nadderud Stadion Natural7,000 Strømsgodset 30 Drammen Marienlyst Stadion Artificial8,935 Tromsø 30 Tromsø Alfheim Stadion Artificial6,859 Vålerenga 57 Oslo Intility Arena Artificial17,233 Viking 68 Stavanger Viking Stadion Natural16,300
Personnel and kits Team Manager Kit manufacturer Sponsor Aalesund Trond Fredriksen Umbro Sparebanken Møre Brann Lars Arne Nilsen Nike Sparebanken Vest Haugesund Eirik Horneland Macron Haugaland Kraft Kristiansund Christian Michelsen Umbro SpareBank 1 Nordvest Lillestrøm Arne Erlandsen Legea DNB Molde Ole Gunnar Solskjær Nike Sparebanken Møre Odd Dag-Eilev Fagermo New Balance SpareBank 1 Telemark Rosenborg Kåre Ingebrigtsen Adidas SpareBank 1 SMN Sandefjord Lars Bohinen Macron Jotun Sarpsborg 08 Geir Bakke Select Borregaard Sogndal Eirik Bakke Umbro Sparebanken Vest Stabæk Antoni Ordinas Macron SpareBank 1 Østlandet Strømsgodset Tor Ole Skullerud Puma DNB Tromsø Simo Valakari Select Sparebanken Nord-Norge Vålerenga Ronny Deila Umbro DNB Viking Bjarte Lunde Aarsheim (caretaker) Diadora Lyse
Managerial changes Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Table Incoming manager Date of appointment Table Viking Kjell Jonevret Mutual agreement 14 November 2016 Pre-season Ian Burchnall 24 November 2016 Pre-season Tromsø Bård Flovik Sacked 26 June 2017 15th Simo Valakari 12 July 2017 15th Viking Ian Burchnall Sacked 9 November 2017 16th Bjarte Lunde Aarsheim (caretaker) 9 November 2017 16th
Transfers
Winter
Summer
League table
Positions by round
Relegation play-offs
The 14th-placed team, Sogndal took part in a two-legged play-off against Ranheim, the winners of the 1. divisjon promotion play-offs, to decide who would play in the 2018 Eliteserien.
1–1 on aggregate. Ranheim won 5–4 on penalties.
Results
Season statistics
Top scorers
RankPlayerClubGoalsGamesAverage1 Nicklas Bendtner Rosenborg19290,662 Ohi Omoijuanfo Stabæk17270,633 Björn Bergmann Sigurðarson Molde16270,59 Mos Aalesund16300,535 Patrick Mortensen Sarpsborg 0812300,406 Eirik Ulland Andersen Strømsgodset11260,427 Flamur Kastrati Sandefjord10250,40 Thomas Lehne Olsen Tromsø10280,36 Bassel Jradi Strømsgodset10290,34 Benjamin Stokke Kristiansund10300,33
Hat-tricks
Player For Against Result Date Ohi Omoijuanfo Stabæk Aalesund 3–1 (H) Ohi Omoijuanfo Stabæk Sarpsborg 08 3–0 (H) Gilbert Koomson Sogndal Viking 4–0 (H) Erling Knudtzon Lillestrøm Tromsø 4–1 (H) Lars Veldwijk Aalesund Odd 5–1 (H) Benjamin Stokke Kristiansund Stabæk 4–1 (A) Simen Juklerød Vålerenga Viking 7–1 (A) Mos Aalesund Strømsgodset 4–3 (H)
Notes (H) – Home team(A) – Away team
Clean sheets
RankPlayerClubCleansheets1 Per Kristian BråtveitHaugesund122 André HansenRosenborg113 Andreas LindeMolde10 Sondre RossbachOdd5 Anders KristiansenSarpsborg 0896 Ingvar JónssonSandefjord8 Piotr LeciejewskiBrann8 Mathias DyngelandSogndal6 Gudmund KongshavnTromsø Sean McDermottKristiansund Arnold OrigiLillestrøm Espen Bugge PettersenStrømsgodset
Discipline
Player
Most yellow cards: 7 Flamur Kastrati (Sandefjord) Kaj Ramsteijn (Aalesund) Most red cards: 2 Andreas Albech (Sarpsborg 08) Victor Demba Bindia (Sandefjord)
Club Most yellow cards: 54 Sandefjord
Most red cards: 4 Viking
Attendances
Awards Award Winner Club Player of the Year Tore Reginiussen Rosenborg Breakthrough of the Year Krépin Diatta Sarpsborg 08 Manager of the Year Kåre Ingebrigtsen Rosenborg Goal of the Year Nicklas Bendtner Rosenborg
References