The 2021 Eliteserien was the 77th completed season of top-tier football in Norway. This was fifth season of Eliteserien as rebranding from Tippeligaen.
The season was originally scheduled to begin on 5 April and end on 27 November 2021, not including play-off matches. Restrictions enforced by the government due to the COVID-19 pandemic forced the Norwegian Football Federation to postpone the start several times and the league started on 9 May 2021. The last round was played on 12 December 2021.
Bodø/Glimt were the defending champions. Tromsø and Lillestrøm joined as the promoted clubs from the 2020 Norwegian First Division. They replaced Aalesund and IK Start who were relegated to the 2021 Norwegian First Division.
Teams Sixteen teams competed in the league – the top fourteen teams from the previous season, and two teams promoted from Norwegian First Division. The promoted teams were Tromsø and Lillestrøm, both returning to the top flight after an absence of just one year. They replaced Aalesund and IK Start, both relegated after a season's presence.
Stadiums and locations
Note: Table lists in alphabetical order. Team Location County Arena Turf CapacityBodø/Glimt 26 Bodø Nordland Aspmyra Stadion Artificial 5,635 Brann 64 Bergen Vestland Brann Stadion Natural 17,049 Haugesund 15 Haugesund Rogaland Haugesund Stadion Natural8,754 Kristiansund 5 Kristiansund Møre og Romsdal Kristiansund Stadion Artificial 4,444 Lillestrøm 57 Lillestrøm Viken Åråsen Stadion Natural 11,500 Mjøndalen 22 Mjøndalen Viken Consto Arena Artificial 4,200 Molde 45 Molde Møre og Romsdal Aker Stadion Artificial11,249 Odd 40 Skien Vestfold og Telemark Skagerak Arena Artificial11,767 Rosenborg 58 Trondheim Trøndelag Lerkendal Stadion Natural 21,421 Sandefjord 9 Sandefjord Vestfold og Telemark Release Arena Natural 6,582 Sarpsborg 08 10 Sarpsborg Viken Sarpsborg Stadion Artificial8,022 Stabæk 25 Bærum Viken Nadderud Stadion Natural4,938 Strømsgodset 34 Drammen Viken Marienlyst Stadion Artificial8,935 Tromsø 33 Tromsø Troms og Finnmark Alfheim Stadion Artificial6,687 Viking 71 Stavanger Rogaland Viking Stadion Artificial15,900 Vålerenga 61 Oslo Oslo Intility Arena Artificial16,555
Personnel and kits Team Manager(s) Captain Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor Bodø/Glimt Diadora Sparebanken Nord-Norge Brann Nike Sparebanken Vest Haugesund Macron Haugaland Kraft Kristiansund Macron SpareBank 1 Nordvest Lillestrøm Puma DNB Mjøndalen Umbro Sparebanken Øst Molde Nike Sparebanken Møre Odd Hummel SpareBank 1 Telemark Rosenborg Adidas SpareBank 1 SMN Sandefjord Macron Jotun Sarpsborg 08 Select Borregaard Stabæk Macron SpareBank 1 Østlandet Strømsgodset Puma DNB Tromsø Select Sparebanken Nord-Norge Vålerenga Umbro DNB Viking Diadora Lyse
Managerial changes Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Table Incoming manager(s) Date of appointment TableViking Bjarne BerntsenMutual consent31 December 2020Pre-season Bjarte Lunde Aarsheim Morten Jensen 1 January 2021Pre-seasonSandefjord Martí CifuentesContract expired31 December 2020 Hans Erik Ødegaard Andreas Tegström 1 January 2021Strømsgodset Henrik PedersenMutual consent9 April 2021 Bjørn Petter Ingebretsen Håkon Wibe-Lund12 April 2021 Sarpsborg 08 Mikael StahreSigned by Göteborg2 June 2021 8th Lars Bohinen 6 June 2021 8thStabæk Jan JönssonMutual consent4 July 2021 15th Eirik Kjønø9 July 202115thBrann Kåre IngebrigtsenSacked19 July 2021 15th Eirik Horneland20 July 202115th
Transfers
Winter
Summer
League table
Positions by round
Results
Relegation play-offs
The 14th-placed team in the Eliteserien, Brann, played against the winners of the First Division promotion play-offs, Jerv, on neutral ground to decide who would play in the Eliteserien next season.
4–4 after extra time. Jerv won 8–7 on penalties and were promoted to the Eliteserien; Brann were relegated to the Norwegian First Division.
Season statistics
Top scorers
RankPlayerClubGoals1 Ohi Omoijuanfo Molde272 Thomas Lehne Olsen Lillestrøm263 Veton Berisha Viking224 Erik Botheim Bodø/Glimt155 Mushaga Bakenga Odd11 Viðar Jónsson Sandefjord Ibrahima Koné Sarpsborg 08 Stefano Vecchia Rosenborg9 Jonathan Lindseth Sarpsborg 0810
Hat-tricks
Player For Against Result Date Ohi Omoijuanfo Molde Brann 4–0 (H) Kristoffer Zachariassen Rosenborg Brann 3–2 (H) Mushaga Bakenga Odd Brann 3–1 (A) Ohi Omoijuanfo Molde Haugesund 5–4 (H) Tobias Lauritsen Odd Haugesund 4–2 (H) Amahl Pellegrino Bodø/Glimt Kristiansund 3–0 (H) Ibrahima Koné 4 Sarpsborg 08 Sandefjord 5–0 (H) Alioune Ndour Haugesund Mjøndalen 7–0 (H) Veton Berisha Viking Lillestrøm 5–1 (H) Moses Mawa Kristiansund Odd 4–2 (A) Thomas Lehne Olsen Lillestrøm Strømsgodset 4–1 (H)
Notes 4 Player scored 4 goals(H) – Home team(A) – Away team
Clean sheets
RankPlayerClubCleansheets1 Nikita KhaykinBodø/Glimt132 Sean McDermottKristiansund9 Egil SelvikHaugesund4 Mads Hedenstad ChristiansenLillestrøm8 Jacob KarlstrømTromsø Andreas LindeMolde7 Anders KristiansenSarpsborg 087 Jacob StorevikSandefjord9 Viljar MyhraStrømsgodset6 Marcus SandbergStabæk
Discipline
Player
Most yellow cards: 8 Lars Ranger (Lillestrøm)
Most red cards: 1
Adam Andersson (Rosenborg) Martin Bjørnbak (Molde) David Brekalo (Viking) Patrik Gunnarsson (Viking) Kornelius Normann Hansen (Stabæk) Markus Henriksen (Rosenborg) Anders Jenssen (Tromsø) Fredrik Pallesen Knudsen (Brann) Ibrahima Koné (Sarpsborg 08) Alioune Ndour (Haugesund) Igoh Ogbu (Lillestrøm) Birk Risa (Molde) Anton Salétros (Sarpsborg 08) Marcus Sandberg (Stabæk) Ian Smeulers (Sandefjord) Albin Sporrong (Mjøndalen) Gustav Valsvik (Strømsgodset)
Club
Most yellow cards: 53 Sarpsborg 08 Stabæk
Most red cards: 2 Molde Rosenborg Sarpsborg 08 Stabæk Viking
Awards Monthly awards MonthCoach of the MonthPlayer of the MonthYoung Player of the MonthReferencesCoachClubPlayerClubPlayerClubMay Christian MichelsenKristiansund Kristoffer ZachariassenRosenborg Erik BotheimBodø/GlimtJune Erling MoeMolde Ohi OmoijuanfoMolde Mads Hedenstad ChristiansenLillestrømJuly Geir BakkeLillestrøm Thomas Lehne OlsenLillestrømNot awardedAugust Bjarte Lunde Aarsheim Morten JensenViking Joe BellViking Osame SahraouiVålerengaSeptember Eirik HornelandBrann Stefano VecchiaRosenborg Noah HolmRosenborgOctober Kjetil KnutsenBodø/Glimt Ola SolbakkenBodø/Glimt August MikkelsenTromsøNovember Lars BohinenSarpsborg 08 Magnus Wolff EikremMolde Hugo VetlesenBodø/Glimt
Annual awards Award Winner ClubCoach of the Year Kjetil KnutsenBodø/GlimtPlayer of the Year Patrick BergYoung Player of the Year Mads Hedenstad ChristiansenLillestrøm
League attendances
References