Stig Inge Bjørnebye
Encyclopedia
Stig Inge Bjørnebye is a retired Norwegian
footballer who played in Norway, England, and Denmark, most notably for Liverpool
and Blackburn Rovers
. His preferred position was left back, which he occupied for domestic clubs and the national team. Bjørnebye was appointed assistant manager of Norway in 2003, relinquishing the role three years later to succeed Tom Nordlie
as manager of IK Start.
For club and country, Bjørnebye was noted for his precise deliveries from the flanks. Described as a "solid, no-nonsense full-back", Bjørnebye played competitive football for 16 years until injury compelled retirement in March 2003. He represented the Norwegian national team
75 times, scoring once, and appeared in 194 Premier League matches.
, the son of skier Jo Inge
, who competed in the 1968
and 1972 Winter Olympics
. As a child, Bjørnebye exhibited an interest in emulating his father by becoming a ski jumper
.
His footballing career began as a youth player with home club Elverum IL
, before joining Strømmen IF
in the late 1980s. He moved to Kongsvinger IL in 1989, establishing himself as a first-team regular and securing a transfer to Rosenborg in 1992. His inaugural season with Rosenborg yielded the Norwegian Premier League and Norwegian Cup, in the final of, which he scored the deciding goal against Lillestrøm SK.
His performances merited inclusion in the national team and attracted the attention of Liverpool's manager Graeme Souness
, who bought Bjørnebye for £
600,000 less than one year after moving to Rosenborg. Signed as a replacement for David Burrows
, Bjørnebye debuted inauspiciously on 19 December 1992 in a 5–1 defeat to Coventry City
. Initial difficulties adapting to the Premier League caused many fans to question his displays on the pitch and he returned to Norway on loan to Rosenborg in 1994.
Bjørnebye's experiences as a Reds' player in the 1994–95 season under the management of Roy Evans
, were markedly more successful than that of previous campaigns. He gained a regular place in the senior team, supplanting the left back position from Julian Dicks
, and featured in the 2–1 win against Bolton Wanderers
in the final of the 1995 League Cup Final
on 2 May 1995. Subsequent injury, a broken leg sustained on 5 April 1995 in a 3–1 win match against Southampton
, terminated his season and he was replaced by Steve Harkness
.
Unavailable for several months, Bjørnebye appeared just twice for Liverpool in the 1995–96 season. Recovery and injuries to other left back candidates enabled Bjørnebye to reclaim his place the following season, in which he scored his first goal for Liverpool on 23 April 1996 in a 3–3 draw against Middlesbrough
. He contributed to the club's most convincing title challenge since the inception of the Premier League by supplying club strikers Stan Collymore
and Robbie Fowler
with precise crosses. He was ultimately included in the PFA
Team of the Year with Steve McManaman
and Mark Wright. The acquisition of Steve Staunton
and arrival of Gérard Houllier
in the 1998–99 season, limited Bjørnebye's first-team opportunities, leading to his effective marginalisation. Bjørnebye affirmed his recurring determination to stay at Liverpool that season, remarking "If I didn't have any fight in my stomach I'd have left Liverpool at least three times before".
Unable to displace Staunton and Dominic Matteo
, Bjørnebye agreed to a loan move to Danish champions Brøndby IF
in 2000. He decided to permanently leave Liverpool after returning from the European Championship, accepting a £300,000 transfer to Blackburn Rovers
that reunited him with former manager Graeme Souness. Promotion to the Premier League was achieved in his first year with Rovers, in the process, Bjørnebye scored his only goal for the club on 11 November 2000, in a 2–2 draw against Portsmouth. His final trophy was gained when Blackburn defeated Tottenham Hotspur
2–1 in the 2002 League Cup Final
. Successive injuries after the cup victory disrupted and eventually ended his career as a footballer. While preparing for the 2002–03 season, Bjørnebye fractured his eye socket in a training accident. He complained of double vision, underwent surgery, and was rendered unavailable for seven months. Further injury inflicted during a League Cup match on 17 December 2002, in a 2–0 win against Wigan Athletic
escalated, while Bjørnebye was recovering in Norway, necessitating emergency surgery to avert the possibility of foot amputation. Bjørnebye announced his retirement on 11 March 2003. Blackburn manager Graham Souness reacted to the decision with a statement:
, scoring once - an olympic goal in a 1–0 friendly against the United States
on 8 September 1993. Having represented his country at youth, under-21
, and "B" level, Bjørnebye debuted for the senior team on 31 May 1989 against Austria
. The majority of his caps were collected during Egil Olsen
's eight-year tenure as manager of Norway. Under Olsen's guidance, Norway employed a "long ball" policy that was contingent on the height of Olsen's squad. The tactic of directing long passes to striker Jostein Flo
, principally delivered by Bjørnebye, became popularly referred to in Norway as the "Flo Pass
" (Flo-pasningen). Although criticised for employing the long-ball approach and maintaining a defensively-orientated mentality, Olsen secured qualification for the World Cups of 1994
and 1998
. Bjørnebye participated in both tournaments — seven matches in total.
He decided to retire from international football after the 1998 World Cup, intending to focus on his domestic career and family. Bjørnebye unexpectedly reversed his decision after Nils Johan Semb
persuaded him to return to the squad for Euro 2000. Unused in Norway's 1–0 win against Spain on 13 June 2000, Bjørnebye was first introduced to the competition in the second match of the group stage, in a 0–1 loss on 18 June 2000 against Yugoslavia
, as a 35-minute substitute for his Liverpool colleague Vegard Heggem
. He retained his place, featuring in the goalless draw against Slovenia
on 21 June 2000, which eliminated Norway from the tournament. His final international match was in a in a 1–1 draw World Cup qualifier on 7 October 2000 against Wales
, placing him ninth in the overall record of appearances for Norway as of 2007.
to replace Harald Aabrekk
as Norway's assistant manager, subordinate to the newly-appointed Åge Hareide
. Prior to the announcement, the media in England had reported that Bjørnebye was considering maintaining a relationship with Blackburn by becoming a scout for the club. He vacated his position in 2006 to succeed Tom Nordlie as manager of IK Start. Success was forthcoming in his first season; the club competed in Europe and Bjørnebye was declared most profitable coach of the year, ahead of his predecessor Nordlie, with an income of almost seven million krone
. His appointment lasted two seasons, ending with dismissal in September 2007, after a series of poor results that placed the club in serious danger of being relegated from the Norwegian Premier League
. He was replaced by Benny Lennartsson
, who was unable to preserve the club's premier league status; Start were relegated to Norway's second division
.
player Hege Frøseth
, with whom he has three children.
|1987||rowspan="2"|Strømmen IF
||rowspan="4"|Norwegian First Division||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
|1988||19||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||19||0
|-
|1989||rowspan="3"|Kongsvinger IL||21||2||0||0||0||0||0||0||21||2
|-
|1990||20||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||20||0
|-
|1991||rowspan="2"|Norwegian Premier League
||21||1||0||0||0||0||0||0||21||1
|-
|1992||Rosenborg BK||21||3||0||0||0||0||0||0||21||3
|-
|-
|1992–93||rowspan="2"|Liverpool
||rowspan="2"|FA Premier League||11||0||2||0||0||0||0||0||13||0
|-
|1993–94||9||0||1||0||0||0||0||0||10||0
|-
|-
|1994||rowspan="1"|→ Rosenborg BK (loan)||rowspan="1"|Norwegian Premier League
||8||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||8||0
|-
|-
|1994–95||rowspan="6"|Liverpool
||rowspan="6"|FA Premier League||31||0||6||0||7||0||0||0||44||0
|-
|1995–96||2||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||2||0
|-
|1996–97||38||2||2||0||4||0||8||2||52||4
|-
|1997–98||25||0||0||0||3||0||4||0||32||0
|-
|1998–99||23||0||2||0||2||0||4||0||31||0
|-
|1999–2000||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
|-
|1999–2000||rowspan="1"|Brøndby IF
||rowspan="1"|Danish Superliga
||13||2||0||0||0||0||0||0||13||2
|-
|-
|2000–01||rowspan="3"|Blackburn Rovers
||rowspan="3"|FA Premier League||32||1||3||0||2||0||0||0||37||1
|-
|2001–02||23||0||2||0||3||0||0||0||28||0
|-
|2002–03||0||0||0||0||1||0||0||0||1||0
|-
110||6||0||0||0||0||0||0||110||6
194||3||18||0||22||0||16||2||250||5
13||2||0||0||0||0||0||0||13||2
317||11||18||0||22||0||16||2||373||13
|-
|1989||6||0
|-
|1990||4||0
|-
|1991||3||0
|-
|1992||11||0
|-
|1993||8||1
|-
|1994||10||0
|-
|1995||3||0
|-
|1996||6||0
|-
|1997||8||0
|-
|1998||12||0
|-
|1999||0||0
|-
|2000||5||0
|-
!Total||76||1
|}
Liverpool
Blackburn Rovers
|-
| colspan=3 align=center | Norway national football team
assistant manager
|-
| width="30%" align="center" | Preceded by:
Harald Aabrekk
| width="40%" align="center" | Season:
2003–2006
| width="30%" align="center" | Succeeded by:
Ola By Rise
|-
| colspan=3 align=center | IK Start manager
|-
| width="30%" align="center" | Preceded by:
Tom Nordlie
| width="40%" align="center" | 2006–2007
| width="30%" align="center" | Succeeded by:
Benny Lennartsson
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
footballer who played in Norway, England, and Denmark, most notably for Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
and Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
. His preferred position was left back, which he occupied for domestic clubs and the national team. Bjørnebye was appointed assistant manager of Norway in 2003, relinquishing the role three years later to succeed Tom Nordlie
Tom Nordlie
Tom Nordlie is a Norwegian football coach who has managed several top Norwegian football teams, after being released from his contract with Fredrikstad in January 2010 he is currently without contract.-Playing career:...
as manager of IK Start.
For club and country, Bjørnebye was noted for his precise deliveries from the flanks. Described as a "solid, no-nonsense full-back", Bjørnebye played competitive football for 16 years until injury compelled retirement in March 2003. He represented the Norwegian national team
Norway national football team
The Norway national football team represents Norway in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Norway, the governing body for football in Norway. Norway's home ground is Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo and their head coach is Egil Olsen...
75 times, scoring once, and appeared in 194 Premier League matches.
Club career
Bjørnebye was born in ElverumElverum
is a town and municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Østerdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Elverum...
, the son of skier Jo Inge
Jo Inge Bjørnebye
Jo Inge Bjørnebye is a Norwegian ski jumper, born in Våler, Hedmark. He competed at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, where he placed 31st in the normal hill. He competed at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo, both in the normal and large hill....
, who competed in the 1968
1968 Winter Olympics
The 1968 Winter Olympics, officially known as the X Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1968 in Grenoble, France and opened on 6 February. Thirty-seven countries participated...
and 1972 Winter Olympics
1972 Winter Olympics
The 1972 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated from February 3 to February 13, 1972 in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan...
. As a child, Bjørnebye exhibited an interest in emulating his father by becoming a ski jumper
Ski jumping
Ski jumping is a sport in which skiers go down a take-off ramp, jump and attempt to land as far as possible down the hill below. In addition to the length of the jump, judges give points for style. The skis used for ski jumping are wide and long...
.
His footballing career began as a youth player with home club Elverum IL
Elverum Fotball
Elverum Fotball is the association football section of the sports club Elverum IL from Elverum, Norway.-History:It was founded on 30 June 1907 under the name Elverum Footballklub....
, before joining Strømmen IF
Strømmen IF
Strømmen Idrettsforening is a Norwegian sports club from Strømmen. It has sections for football, athletics,-History:The club was founded on 25 September 1911 as Strømmen FK. The name was changed to FK Norrøna in 1914. In 1923 the club merged with Strømmen IL and took the name IL Norrøna...
in the late 1980s. He moved to Kongsvinger IL in 1989, establishing himself as a first-team regular and securing a transfer to Rosenborg in 1992. His inaugural season with Rosenborg yielded the Norwegian Premier League and Norwegian Cup, in the final of, which he scored the deciding goal against Lillestrøm SK.
His performances merited inclusion in the national team and attracted the attention of Liverpool's manager Graeme Souness
Graeme Souness
Graeme James Souness is a Scottish former professional football player and manager.Souness was the captain of the successful Liverpool team of the early 1980s and player-manager of Rangers in the late 1980s as well as captain of the Scottish national team. He also played for Tottenham Hotspur,...
, who bought Bjørnebye for £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
600,000 less than one year after moving to Rosenborg. Signed as a replacement for David Burrows
David Burrows (footballer)
David Burrows is an English former footballer. During his career he played for West Bromwich Albion, Liverpool, West Ham United, Everton, Coventry City, Birmingham City and Sheffield Wednesday as well as the England Under-21 and B teams...
, Bjørnebye debuted inauspiciously on 19 December 1992 in a 5–1 defeat to Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
. Initial difficulties adapting to the Premier League caused many fans to question his displays on the pitch and he returned to Norway on loan to Rosenborg in 1994.
Bjørnebye's experiences as a Reds' player in the 1994–95 season under the management of Roy Evans
Roy Evans
Roy Evans CBE was a Liverpool football player who eventually rose through the coaching ranks to become team manager.-Career:...
, were markedly more successful than that of previous campaigns. He gained a regular place in the senior team, supplanting the left back position from Julian Dicks
Julian Dicks
Julian Andrew Dicks , is a retired football player and manager, last attached to Isthmian League Division One North club Grays Athletic.-Playing career:...
, and featured in the 2–1 win against Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
in the final of the 1995 League Cup Final
1995 Football League Cup Final
The 1995 Coca-Cola Cup Final was played between Liverpool and Bolton Wanderers at Wembley Stadium on 2 April 1995. Liverpool won the match 2–1. Two Steve McManaman goals in the 37th and 68th minutes put Liverpool ahead, but Alan Thompson scored a brilliant goal for Bolton to give them some...
on 2 May 1995. Subsequent injury, a broken leg sustained on 5 April 1995 in a 3–1 win match against Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
, terminated his season and he was replaced by Steve Harkness
Steve Harkness
Steven "Steve" Harkness is a former footballer who played for several clubs, most notably Liverpool.-Playing career:...
.
"I am not very good at [remembering what my fondest footballing memories are] but if I had to pick, I would say my time with Rosenborg, the World Cup game against Mexico in 1994 and my three cup finals - at Ullevål, Wembley and the Millennium Stadium," |
Unavailable for several months, Bjørnebye appeared just twice for Liverpool in the 1995–96 season. Recovery and injuries to other left back candidates enabled Bjørnebye to reclaim his place the following season, in which he scored his first goal for Liverpool on 23 April 1996 in a 3–3 draw against Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
. He contributed to the club's most convincing title challenge since the inception of the Premier League by supplying club strikers Stan Collymore
Stan Collymore
Stanley Victor "Stan" Collymore is an English football pundit and former footballer, who played from 1990 until 2001. He held the British transfer record when he moved from Nottingham Forest to Liverpool for £8.5 million in 1995 and was capped three times at senior level by the England...
and Robbie Fowler
Robbie Fowler
Robert Bernard Fowler is an English footballer who is currently player/manager for Thai Premier League club Muangthong United....
with precise crosses. He was ultimately included in the PFA
Professional Footballers' Association
The Professional Footballers' Association is the trade union for professional footballers in England and Wales. The world's oldest professional sport trade union, it has 4,000 members....
Team of the Year with Steve McManaman
Steve McManaman
Steven McManaman is a retired English footballer who played as a midfielder, winger and playmaker. Having spent his playing career at two of European football's most successful clubs of the 20th century, Liverpool and Real Madrid, as well as a spell at Manchester City, McManaman is the most...
and Mark Wright. The acquisition of Steve Staunton
Steve Staunton
Stephen "Steve" Staunton is an Irish association football manager and former professional footballer, who was most recently manager of Darlington...
and arrival of Gérard Houllier
Gérard Houllier
Gérard Houllier, OBE , is a French football manager, who was last manager of Premier League club Aston Villa. He stepped down on 1 June 2011, following hospitalisation over heart problems towards the end of the 2010-2011 season....
in the 1998–99 season, limited Bjørnebye's first-team opportunities, leading to his effective marginalisation. Bjørnebye affirmed his recurring determination to stay at Liverpool that season, remarking "If I didn't have any fight in my stomach I'd have left Liverpool at least three times before".
Unable to displace Staunton and Dominic Matteo
Dominic Matteo
Dominic Matteo is a former Scottish footballer and a Scottish national football team international. He has played most recently as a defender for Stoke City, but spent most of his career at Liverpool and Leeds United.-Club career:...
, Bjørnebye agreed to a loan move to Danish champions Brøndby IF
Brøndby IF
Brøndby IF is a Danish professional football club based in Brøndbyvester, Brøndby, on the western outskirts of Copenhagen and is the biggest football club in Denmark with almost 2000 members. The club is also known as Brøndbyernes Idrætsforening, or Brøndby and BIF for short...
in 2000. He decided to permanently leave Liverpool after returning from the European Championship, accepting a £300,000 transfer to Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
that reunited him with former manager Graeme Souness. Promotion to the Premier League was achieved in his first year with Rovers, in the process, Bjørnebye scored his only goal for the club on 11 November 2000, in a 2–2 draw against Portsmouth. His final trophy was gained when Blackburn defeated Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
2–1 in the 2002 League Cup Final
2002 Football League Cup Final
The 2002 Worthington Cup Final was played between Blackburn Rovers and Tottenham Hotspur at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, on Sunday, 24 February 2002. Blackburn won the match 2–1....
. Successive injuries after the cup victory disrupted and eventually ended his career as a footballer. While preparing for the 2002–03 season, Bjørnebye fractured his eye socket in a training accident. He complained of double vision, underwent surgery, and was rendered unavailable for seven months. Further injury inflicted during a League Cup match on 17 December 2002, in a 2–0 win against Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic F.C.
Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...
escalated, while Bjørnebye was recovering in Norway, necessitating emergency surgery to avert the possibility of foot amputation. Bjørnebye announced his retirement on 11 March 2003. Blackburn manager Graham Souness reacted to the decision with a statement:
International career
Bjørnebye was capped 75 times by NorwayNorway national football team
The Norway national football team represents Norway in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Norway, the governing body for football in Norway. Norway's home ground is Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo and their head coach is Egil Olsen...
, scoring once - an olympic goal in a 1–0 friendly against the United States
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
on 8 September 1993. Having represented his country at youth, under-21
Norway national under-21 football team
The Norwegian national under-21 football team, controlled by the Football Association of Norway, is the national football team of Norway for players of 21 years of age or under at the start of a UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship campaign...
, and "B" level, Bjørnebye debuted for the senior team on 31 May 1989 against Austria
Austria national football team
The Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the country of Austria in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association ....
. The majority of his caps were collected during Egil Olsen
Egil Olsen
Egil Roger Olsen , nicknamed Drillo, is a Norwegian association football manager and former Norwegian football player. He is best known as a highly successful coach of the Norwegian national football team. He has since been coach of the Iraqi national football team, his departure from which caused...
's eight-year tenure as manager of Norway. Under Olsen's guidance, Norway employed a "long ball" policy that was contingent on the height of Olsen's squad. The tactic of directing long passes to striker Jostein Flo
Jostein Flo
Jostein Flo is a Norwegian former football player, famous for his physical playing style and aerial dominance.-Biography:...
, principally delivered by Bjørnebye, became popularly referred to in Norway as the "Flo Pass
Flo Pass
The Flo Pass is a tactic used in association football, perfected by the Norwegian national team in the early/mid-1990s.In a 4-5-1 formation, the full back hits a very long cross-field pass to the winger on the opposite side, who would head the ball to either one of the central midfielders or to the...
" (Flo-pasningen). Although criticised for employing the long-ball approach and maintaining a defensively-orientated mentality, Olsen secured qualification for the World Cups of 1994
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
and 1998
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
. Bjørnebye participated in both tournaments — seven matches in total.
He decided to retire from international football after the 1998 World Cup, intending to focus on his domestic career and family. Bjørnebye unexpectedly reversed his decision after Nils Johan Semb
Nils Johan Semb
Nils Johan Semb was the coach of the Norwegian national football team from 1998 to 2003, presiding over 68 matches.He led his team to the 2000 European Football Championship...
persuaded him to return to the squad for Euro 2000. Unused in Norway's 1–0 win against Spain on 13 June 2000, Bjørnebye was first introduced to the competition in the second match of the group stage, in a 0–1 loss on 18 June 2000 against Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia national football team
The Yugoslavia national football team represented the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in association football. It enjoyed a modicum of success in international competition. In 1992, during the Yugoslav wars, the team was suspended from international...
, as a 35-minute substitute for his Liverpool colleague Vegard Heggem
Vegard Heggem
Vegard Heggem is a former Norway international footballer. On elite level he played for Rosenborg and English giants Liverpool, and he was capped 20 times for the national team...
. He retained his place, featuring in the goalless draw against Slovenia
Slovenia national football team
The Slovenia national football team is the national football team of Slovenia and is controlled by the Football Association of Slovenia. The team played their first match in 1992 after the split of Yugoslavia in 1991....
on 21 June 2000, which eliminated Norway from the tournament. His final international match was in a in a 1–1 draw World Cup qualifier on 7 October 2000 against Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
, placing him ninth in the overall record of appearances for Norway as of 2007.
Managerial career
Bjørnebye returned to football in a non-playing capacity when he was selected by the Norwegian Football AssociationFootball Association of Norway
The Football Association of Norway is the governing body of football in Norway. Current FIFA World Champions It was formed in 1902 and organises the men's and women's national teams, as well as the Norwegian Premier League.The team are enjoying their best ever spell thanks to World Player of the...
to replace Harald Aabrekk
Harald Aabrekk
Harald Olav Aabrekk is the head coach of the Norwegian Premiership club Sogndal. He is a former head coach for Tromsø, Brann, Haugesund and Vålerenga and he was the assistant coach for the Norwegian national football team from 1998-2003...
as Norway's assistant manager, subordinate to the newly-appointed Åge Hareide
Åge Hareide
Åge Fridtjof Hareide is a Norwegian football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of Viking FK.-Playing career:During his playing career, Hareide played for Hødd, Molde, Manchester City and Norwich City....
. Prior to the announcement, the media in England had reported that Bjørnebye was considering maintaining a relationship with Blackburn by becoming a scout for the club. He vacated his position in 2006 to succeed Tom Nordlie as manager of IK Start. Success was forthcoming in his first season; the club competed in Europe and Bjørnebye was declared most profitable coach of the year, ahead of his predecessor Nordlie, with an income of almost seven million krone
Norwegian krone
The krone is the currency of Norway and its dependent territories. The plural form is kroner . It is subdivided into 100 øre. The ISO 4217 code is NOK, although the common local abbreviation is kr. The name translates into English as "crown"...
. His appointment lasted two seasons, ending with dismissal in September 2007, after a series of poor results that placed the club in serious danger of being relegated from the Norwegian Premier League
Tippeligaen
Tippeligaen is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official...
. He was replaced by Benny Lennartsson
Benny Lennartsson
Benny Lennartsson is a Swedish football coach.He has managed Örebro SK, Lyngby FC and Bristol City among others.-References:...
, who was unable to preserve the club's premier league status; Start were relegated to Norway's second division
Adeccoligaen
The Norwegian First Division is the second highest division of the Norwegian football league system. Since 2005, the official name of the league has been Adeccoligaen....
.
Personal life
Bjørnebye is married to the former Byåsen IL handballTeam handball
Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
player Hege Frøseth
Hege Frøseth
Hege Kirsti Frøseth is a Norwegian team handball player and Olympic medalist. She received a silver medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona with the Norwegian national team.-References:...
, with whom he has three children.
Career statistics
|-|1987||rowspan="2"|Strømmen IF
Strømmen IF
Strømmen Idrettsforening is a Norwegian sports club from Strømmen. It has sections for football, athletics,-History:The club was founded on 25 September 1911 as Strømmen FK. The name was changed to FK Norrøna in 1914. In 1923 the club merged with Strømmen IL and took the name IL Norrøna...
||rowspan="4"|Norwegian First Division||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
|1988||19||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||19||0
|-
|1989||rowspan="3"|Kongsvinger IL||21||2||0||0||0||0||0||0||21||2
|-
|1990||20||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||20||0
|-
|1991||rowspan="2"|Norwegian Premier League
Tippeligaen
Tippeligaen is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official...
||21||1||0||0||0||0||0||0||21||1
|-
|1992||Rosenborg BK||21||3||0||0||0||0||0||0||21||3
|-
|-
|1992–93||rowspan="2"|Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
||rowspan="2"|FA Premier League||11||0||2||0||0||0||0||0||13||0
|-
|1993–94||9||0||1||0||0||0||0||0||10||0
|-
|-
|1994||rowspan="1"|→ Rosenborg BK (loan)||rowspan="1"|Norwegian Premier League
Tippeligaen
Tippeligaen is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official...
||8||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||8||0
|-
|-
|1994–95||rowspan="6"|Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
||rowspan="6"|FA Premier League||31||0||6||0||7||0||0||0||44||0
|-
|1995–96||2||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||2||0
|-
|1996–97||38||2||2||0||4||0||8||2||52||4
|-
|1997–98||25||0||0||0||3||0||4||0||32||0
|-
|1998–99||23||0||2||0||2||0||4||0||31||0
|-
|1999–2000||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
|-
|1999–2000||rowspan="1"|Brøndby IF
Brøndby IF
Brøndby IF is a Danish professional football club based in Brøndbyvester, Brøndby, on the western outskirts of Copenhagen and is the biggest football club in Denmark with almost 2000 members. The club is also known as Brøndbyernes Idrætsforening, or Brøndby and BIF for short...
||rowspan="1"|Danish Superliga
Danish Superliga
The Danish Superliga is the current Danish football championship tournament, and administered by the Danish Football Association. It is the highest association football league in Denmark and is currently contested by 12 teams each year, with 2 teams to be relegated, which proves to be one of the...
||13||2||0||0||0||0||0||0||13||2
|-
|-
|2000–01||rowspan="3"|Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
||rowspan="3"|FA Premier League||32||1||3||0||2||0||0||0||37||1
|-
|2001–02||23||0||2||0||3||0||0||0||28||0
|-
|2002–03||0||0||0||0||1||0||0||0||1||0
|-
110||6||0||0||0||0||0||0||110||6
194||3||18||0||22||0||16||2||250||5
13||2||0||0||0||0||0||0||13||2
317||11||18||0||22||0||16||2||373||13
|-
|1989||6||0
|-
|1990||4||0
|-
|1991||3||0
|-
|1992||11||0
|-
|1993||8||1
|-
|1994||10||0
|-
|1995||3||0
|-
|1996||6||0
|-
|1997||8||0
|-
|1998||12||0
|-
|1999||0||0
|-
|2000||5||0
|-
!Total||76||1
|}
International goals
- Scores and results list Norway's goal tally first.
Goal Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1. 8 September 1993 Ullevaal Stadion Ullevaal StadionUllevaal Stadion is an all-seater football stadium located in Oslo, Norway. It is the home ground of Vålerenga IF and the Norway national football team, and the site of the Norwegian Cup Final. From its opening in 1926 to 2009 it was the home ground of FK Lyn. With a capacity of 25,572, it is the...
, OsloOsloOslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
1–0 1–0 Friendly Exhibition gameAn exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
Honours
Rosenborg- Norwegian Premier LeagueTippeligaenTippeligaen is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official...
(2): 1992, 1994 - Norwegian Football CupNorwegian football cupThe Norwegian Football Cup is the main knockout cup competition in Norwegian football. It is run by the Football Association of Norway and has been contested since 1902, making it the oldest football tournament in the country. The tournament is commonly known as Cupen or NM, an acronym formed...
(1): 1992
Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
- Football League CupFootball League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
(1): 1994–951995 Football League Cup FinalThe 1995 Coca-Cola Cup Final was played between Liverpool and Bolton Wanderers at Wembley Stadium on 2 April 1995. Liverpool won the match 2–1. Two Steve McManaman goals in the 37th and 68th minutes put Liverpool ahead, but Alan Thompson scored a brilliant goal for Bolton to give them some...
Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
- Football League CupFootball League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
(1): 2001–022002 Football League Cup FinalThe 2002 Worthington Cup Final was played between Blackburn Rovers and Tottenham Hotspur at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, on Sunday, 24 February 2002. Blackburn won the match 2–1....
External links
- Stig Inge Bjørnebye career stats at Brøndby IF
|-
| colspan=3 align=center | Norway national football team
Norway national football team
The Norway national football team represents Norway in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Norway, the governing body for football in Norway. Norway's home ground is Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo and their head coach is Egil Olsen...
assistant manager
|-
| width="30%" align="center" | Preceded by:
Harald Aabrekk
Harald Aabrekk
Harald Olav Aabrekk is the head coach of the Norwegian Premiership club Sogndal. He is a former head coach for Tromsø, Brann, Haugesund and Vålerenga and he was the assistant coach for the Norwegian national football team from 1998-2003...
| width="40%" align="center" | Season:
2003–2006
| width="30%" align="center" | Succeeded by:
Ola By Rise
Ola By Rise
Ola By Rise is a Norwegian football coach and former player. He is currently assistant coach of the Norwegian national football team. He played 18 seasons and 346 matches in the Norwegian Premier League.-Career:...
|-
| colspan=3 align=center | IK Start manager
|-
| width="30%" align="center" | Preceded by:
Tom Nordlie
Tom Nordlie
Tom Nordlie is a Norwegian football coach who has managed several top Norwegian football teams, after being released from his contract with Fredrikstad in January 2010 he is currently without contract.-Playing career:...
| width="40%" align="center" | 2006–2007
| width="30%" align="center" | Succeeded by:
Benny Lennartsson
Benny Lennartsson
Benny Lennartsson is a Swedish football coach.He has managed Örebro SK, Lyngby FC and Bristol City among others.-References:...