# Lillestrøm SK

Lillestrøm Sportsklubb is a Norwegian professional football club based in the city of Lillestrøm, just outside of the capital Oslo. Lillestrøm SK is a Norwegian football club based in Lillestrøm, playing in Eliteserien. The club was founded in 1917, after the merger of two local football clubs. Their home ground is Åråsen Stadion, which has a capacity of 12,250 people, while the principal training ground is Lillestrøm stadion, or the indoor arena, LSK-Hallen. The club holds the Norwegian record for the most consecutive years without being relegated, having played 45 seasons from 1975 until 2019. Over the years the club has had around 40 players who have represented the Norwegian national team. There has also been a number of foreigners who have represented the national teams of the United States, Sweden, Iceland, Senegal, Finland, Malta, Australia, South Africa, Slovenia, Tunisia, Canada, Somalia, and Nigeria.

## History

Lillestrøm SK was founded on 2 April 1917. It has been Norwegian League champions five times, most recently in 1989, and also in 1986, 1977, 1976 and 1959. Additionally, they have won the Norwegian Cup in 1985, 1981, 1978, 1977, 2007 and 2017.
When Arne Erlandsen left for Sweden and IFK Göteborg after the 2004 season, former LSK player and German international Uwe Rösler took over as head coach of the team. His first season in charge became a successful one, with Lillestrøm finishing fourth in the league. This position secured LSK a place in the Royal League. The team also made it to the 2005 Norwegian Cup final, but lost 4–2 to Molde in front of a crowd of 25,000 at Ullevaal Stadion.
In the 2006 season, Lillestrøm were among the top favourites to win the league. Following a disappointing 4th place, it was announced on 13 November 2006 that Uwe Rösler had been fired from his position as head coach of Lillestrøm. Only a few days later Tom Nordlie signed a three-year contract.
A key signing ahead of the 2007 season included Fredrikstad's Simen Brenne, an attacking midfielder with a knack for scoring important goals. LSK under Nordlie played a 4–3–3 system, which invites rapid transitional play between defence and attack, Lillestrøm finished fourth in the league and won the 2007 Norwegian cup, beating Haugesund 2–0 in the final at Ullevaal Stadion.
On 29 May 2008, Tom Nordlie resigned from his position as head coach after a disappointing start of the 2008 season. Statements from Nordlie suggested that fundamental disagreements with club director Jan Åge Fjørtoft also contributed to his resignation. It later emerged that the conflict between the controversial coach and the players was another big contributor behind Nordlie's departure, his punishing training regime in the run-up to the 2008 season being cited as the main complaint. Nordlie, no stranger to controversy during his career, had reportedly "lost the dressing room" as early as autumn 2007.
Erland Johnsen and Frode Grodås stepped in as caretakers until a new head coach was hired. On 19 August 2008, the club announced that Henning Berg would take over as head coach on 1 January 2009, after leaving his post at Lyn. Berg's first task would be to rescue the team from relegation, a feat he accomplished in his very first match as head coach. LSK beat Rosenborg 4–2 in a classic encounter to secure their place in the Tippeligaen.
The 2009 season was one of great upheaval. In an increasingly tight economic position, LSK sold or released 11 players before and during the season, with Berg also restructuring the squad and bringing in new talent. Enormous injury problems also made the start to the season a difficult one for Berg's charges. After 9 games, LSK had won none and drawn four and seemed destined for relegation. An impressive comeback saw Lillestrøm deliver a strong second half to the season, eventually finishing 11th. Newcomer Nosa Igiebor had an especially impressive first season in the Lillestrøm jersey.
The team continued to impress over the course of the winter and start of the 2010 season. LSK were in early June fifth in the Tippeligaen, undefeated in 14 league matches. They saw, however, a dramatic drop in form over the summer which saw them briefly flirt with relegation, before a late surge of form late in the season salvaged 10th place.
In 2011, LSK made an exciting start to the new season, scoring an incredible 18 goals from their first five league matches, including a 7–0 drubbing of Stabæk in their first league match of the season – away from home. Early season form was good enough for the team to flirt with the top three until the end of July. Early in August, however, stars Anthony Ujah and Nosa Igiebor were sold to stave off the dire economic straits of the club. Also, in-form Icelandic midfielder Stefán Gíslason was out of contract and left the club. In mid-August, prodigy striker Björn Bergmann Sigurðarson was injured for the rest of the season, and the club failed to win any of their last 11 league games, a new record for Lillestrøm.
Coach Henning Berg was sacked three matches before the end of the season as investor Per Berg promised fresh funds for acquiring quality players after the season. The club again flirted with the prospect of relegation; however, the incessant poor form of Start and Sarpsborg meant Lillestrøm again saved themselves. This despite an abject 34 points gathered over 30 league matches, which normally would mean relegation.
Former Elfsborg coach Magnus Haglund was appointed coach after the season. Lillestrøm was quite active in the transfer window ahead of the 2012 season, and bought 11 new players. The change of coach and flurry of transfers did the club no good, however, as they again flirted with relegation until just a few weeks before the end of the season, hovering between 12th and 14th place before a strong finish to the season propelled them into 9th. On the whole the season was deemed a big disappointment, however, and Haglund's position has been subject to debate throughout the winter pre-season.
Ahead of the 2013 season, the club again has reined in spending and started the season with a first team squad of just 18 full senior players and additional backup players from the youth academy. LSK under Haglund have performed well away from home (2nd best away record in 2012), but often struggled on their own turf.

## Achievements

* Eliteserien:
** Winners (5): 1958–59, 1976, 1977, 1986, 1989
** Runners-up (8): 1959–60, 1978, 1983, 1985, 1988, 1994, 1996, 2001
* Norwegian Cup:
** Winners (6): 1977, 1978, 1981, 1985, 2007, 2017
** Runners-up (8): 1953, 1955, 1958, 1980, 1986, 1992, 2005, 2022
* Royal League:
** Runners-up (1): 2005–06
* UEFA Intertoto Cup:
** Runners-up (1): 2006

## Recent history

    Season Pos. Pl. W D L GS GA P Cup Notes 1995 Tippeligaen 4 261187 503641 Semi-final 1996 Tippeligaen 2 261376 543346 Third round 1997 Tippeligaen 10 269611 414933 Fourth round 1998 Tippeligaen 8 269512 344332 Third round 1999 Tippeligaen 4 261538 604148 Quarter-final 2000 Tippeligaen 6 261178 422940 Quarter-final 2001 Tippeligaen 2 261754 643356 Semi-final 2002 Tippeligaen 7 2610610 373036 Third round 2003 Tippeligaen 7 261079 333537 Fourth round 2004 Tippeligaen 7 268117 453335 Semi-final 2005 Tippeligaen 4 261268 373142 Final 2006 Tippeligaen 4 261286 443344 Quarter-final 2007 Tippeligaen 4 261286 472844 Winner 2008 Tippeligaen 12 267712 304028 Second round 2009 Tippeligaen 11 3091011 435037 Fourth round 2010 Tippeligaen 10 309138 514440 Third round 2011 Tippeligaen 13 309714 465234 Fourth round 2012 Tippeligaen 9 309129 464739 Fourth round 2013 Tippeligaen 10 309912 374436 Semi-final 2014 Tippeligaen 5 3013710 493546 Quarter-final 2015 Tippeligaen 8 301299 454344 Third round 2016 Tippeligaen 12 3081012 455034 Third round 2017 Eliteserien 12 3010713 404337 Winner 2018 Eliteserien 12 3071112 344432 Semi-final 2019 Eliteserien ↓ 14 307914 324730 Third round Relegated to 1. divisjon through play-offs 2020 1. divisjon ↑ 2 301695 492657 Cancelled Promoted to Eliteserien 2021 Eliteserien 4 301479 494049 Quarter-final 2022 Eliteserien 4 301659 493453 Final 2023 Eliteserien 6 3013413 494943 Second round 2024 Eliteserien ↓ 15 307320 336324 Quarter-final Relegated to 1. divisjon

## European record
### Summary

| Competition | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Last season played |
| European Cup UEFA Champions League | 14 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 17 | 2002–03 |
| UEFA Cup | 28 | 10 | 2 | 16 | 35 | 49 | 2018–19 |
| UEFA Cup Winners' Cup | 10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 11 | 18 | 1993–94 |
| UEFA Europa Conference League | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 2022–23 |
| UEFA Intertoto Cup | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 18 | 11 | 2006 |
| Total | 64 | 22 | 9 | 33 | 81 | 102 | |
Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against. Defunct competitions indicated in italics.

### List of matches

| Season | Competition | Round | Opponent | Home | Away | Agg. |
| 1977–78 | European Cup | R1 | Ajax | 2–0 | 0–4 | 2–4 |
| 1978–79 | European Cup | R1 | Linfield | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 |
| 1978–79 | European Cup | R2 | Austria Vienna | 0–0 | 1–4 | 1–4 |
| 1979–80 | Cup Winners' Cup | PR | Rangers | 0–2 | 0–1 | 0–3 |
| 1982–83 | Cup Winners' Cup | R1 | Red Star Belgrade | 0–4 | 0–3 | 0–7 |
| 1984–85 | UEFA Cup | R1 | Lokomotive Leipzig | 3–0 | 0–7 | 3–7 |
| 1986–87 | Cup Winners' Cup | R1 | Benfica | 1–2 | 0–2 | 1–4 |
| 1987–88 | European Cup | R1 | Linfield | 1–1 | 4–2 | 5–3 |
| 1987–88 | European Cup | R2 | Bordeaux | 0–0 | 0–1 | 0–1 |
| 1989–90 | UEFA Cup | R1 | Werder Bremen | 1–3 | 0–2 | 1–5 |
| 1990–91 | European Cup | R1 | Club Brugge | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–3 |
| 1993–94 | Cup Winners' Cup | QR | Nikol Tallinn | 4–1 | 4–0 | 8–1 |
| 1993–94 | Cup Winners' Cup | R1 | Torino | 0–2 | 2–1 | 2–3 |
| 1994–95 | UEFA Cup | PR | Shakhtar Donetsk | 4–1 | 0–2 | 4–3 |
| 1994–95 | UEFA Cup | R1 | Bordeaux | 0–2 | 1–3 | 1–5 |
| 1995–96 | UEFA Cup | PR | Flora Tallinn | 4–0 | 0–1 | 4–1 |
| 1995–96 | UEFA Cup | R1 | Brøndby | 0–0 | 0–3 | 0–3 |
| 1996–97 | Intertoto Cup | Group 5 | Kaunas | N/A | 4–1 | – |
| 1996–97 | Intertoto Cup | Group 5 | Sligo Rovers | 4–0 | N/A | – |
| 1996–97 | Intertoto Cup | Group 5 | Heerenveen | N/A | 1–0 | – |
| 1996–97 | Intertoto Cup | Group 5 | Nantes | 2–3 | N/A | – |
| 1997–98 | UEFA Cup | QR2 | Dinamo Minsk | 1–0 | 2–0 | 3–0 |
| 1997–98 | UEFA Cup | R1 | Twente | 2–1 | 0–1 | 2–2 (a) |
| 2000–01 | UEFA Cup | QR | Glentoran | 1–0 | 3–0 | 4–0 |
| 2000–01 | UEFA Cup | R1 | Dynamo Moscow | 3–1 | 1–2 | 4–3 |
| 2000–01 | UEFA Cup | R2 | Deportivo Alavés | 1–3 | 2–2 | 3–5 |
| 2002–03 | Champions League | QR2 | Željezničar | 0–1 | 0–1 | 0–2 |
| 2006–07 | Intertoto Cup | R2 | Keflavík | 4–1 | 2–2 | 6–3 |
| 2006–07 | Intertoto Cup | R3 | Newcastle United | 0–3 | 1–1 | 1–4 |
| 2007–08 | UEFA Cup | QR1 | Käerjéng 97 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 2–2 (a) |
| 2008–09 | UEFA Cup | QR2 | Copenhagen | 2–4 | 1–3 | 3–7 |
| 2018–19 | UEFA Europa League | QR2 | LASK Linz | 1–2 | 0–4 | 1–6 |
| 2022–23 | UEFA Europa Conference League | QR2 | SJK | 5–2 | 1–0 | 6–2 |
| 2022–23 | UEFA Europa Conference League | QR3 | Royal Antwerp | 1–3 | 0–2 | 1–5 |

## Records

* Greatest home victory: 10–0 vs. Geithus, 4 October 1953
* Greatest away victory: 7–0 vs. Stabæk, 20 March 2011
* Heaviest home loss: 1–7 vs. Fredrikstad, 15 August 1954
* Heaviest away loss: 1–7 vs. Odd, 7 June 1953
* Highest attendance, Åråsen Stadion: 13,652 vs. Vålerenga, 16 May 2002
* Highest average attendance, season: 9,018 in 2007
* Most appearances, total: 720, Frode Kippe 1997–1998, 2002–2019
* Most appearances, league: 441, Frode Kippe 1997–1998, 2002–2019
* Most goals scored, total: 319, Tom Lund 1967–82
* Most goals scored, league: 154, Tom Lund 1967–82
* Most goals scored, season: 26, Tom Lund 1973

## Current squad

    As of 3 February 2025
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 1 | GK | NOR | Stefan Hagerup |
| 2 | DF | NOR | Lars Ranger |
| 4 | DF | NOR | Espen Garnås |
| 6 | MF | NOR | Vebjørn Hoff |
| 10 | FW | NOR | Thomas Lehne Olsen |
| 11 | DF | DEN | Frederik Elkær |
| 12 | GK | NOR | Mads Hedenstad Christiansen |
| 15 | FW | GAM | Salieu Drammeh |
| 16 | MF | NGA | Uba Charles |
| 17 | MF | NOR | Eric Kitolano |
| 18 | MF | NOR | Kevin Krygård |
| 19 | DF | NOR | Kristoffer Tønnessen |
| 20 | FW | ANG | Felix Vá |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 22 | MF | NOR | Elias Solberg |
| 23 | MF | NOR | Gjermund Åsen |
| 24 | MF | NGA | Efe Lucky |
| 26 | FW | NOR | Oliver Henriksrud |
| 28 | DF | NOR | Ruben Gabrielsen (captain) |
| 30 | DF | NOR | Lucas Svenningsen |
| 32 | MF | NOR | Harald Woxen |
| 33 | FW | SEN | Moctar Diop |
| 37 | MF | NOR | Leandro Neto |
| 43 | FW | NOR | Markus Wæhler |
| 64 | DF | SWE | Eric Larsson |
| 90 | FW | NOR | El Schaddai Furaha |
| — | FW | NGA | Kparobo Arierhi |
For season transfers, see transfers winter 2023–24.

### Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | DF | NOR | Maximilian Balatoni (at Strømmen until 31 July 2025) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |

### Coaching staff

| Position | Name |
| Head coach | Hans Erik Ødegaard |
| Assistant coach | Eirik Mæland |
| Goalkeeping coach | Fredrik Vestgård |
| Fitness coach/Physio | Geir Kåsene |
| Physio | Erik Kveen |
| Head of Analytics | André Schelander |
| Sports coordinator | Tor Arne Solberg |
| Mental coach | Mette Rosseland |
| Doctor | Pål Jeroen Husby |
| Nutritionist | André Baumann |
| Scout | Espen Olsen |

### Academy

| Position | Name |
| Head of academy | Toni Ordinas |
| Head of Development | Frode Kippe |

### Administrative staff

| Position | Name |
| Chairman | Morten Kokkim |
| Managing director | Robert Lauritsen |
| Sporting director | Simon Mesfin |
| Sales and partnership rep | Kari Herredsvela |
| Sales and partnership rep | Andreas Nilsen Grov |
| Financial and administration director | Linda Djupnes |
| Head of communications | Morten Stokstad |
| Marketing consultant/club store manager | Jørgen Heen Enger |

## Coaches

* Alf Martinsen (1947–50; 1952–53)
* Karl Guðmundsson (1958; 1960)
* Ragnar Larsen (1962)
* Walther Svendsen (1963)
* Henry Mathiesen (1964–1965)
* Rolf Wahl (1966)
* Ivar Christiansen (1967)
* Rolf Wahl (1968)
* Svein Bergersen/ Rolf Wahl (1971)
* Oddvar Richardsen (1972)
* Joar Hoff (1973)
* Ronny Mathiesen (1974)
* Joar Hoff (1975–1976)
* Joe Hooley (1977–1980)
* Kjell Schou-Andreassen (1980–1982)
* Joar Hoff (1982)
* Bill Foulkes (1984)
* Tom Lund (1985–1988)
* David Hay (1989–1990)
* Tom Lund (1 July 1990 – 30 June 1991)
* Ivar Hoff (1991–1993)
* Teitur Þórðarson (1994– Sept 9, 1995)
* Arne Erlandsen/ Kjetil Osvold (Sept 10, 1995–1996)
* Per Brogeland (1996– 1 June 1997)
* Even Pellerud (1997)
* Arne Erlandsen (1998–2005)
* Uwe Rösler (2005–2007)
* Tom Nordlie (2007 – 29 May 2008)
* Erland Johnsen (caretaker) (29 May 2008 – 16 June 2008)
* Erland Johnsen (16 June 2008 – 21 Oct 2008)
* Henning Berg (21 Oct 2008 – 26 Oct 2011)
* Petter Belsvik/ Magnus Powell (caretakers) (26 Oct 2011–2012)
* Magnus Haglund (2012–2015)
* Rúnar Kristinsson (2015– 18 Sep 2016)
* Arne Erlandsen (20 Sep 2016 – 26 June 2018)
* Arild Sundgot (caretaker) (26 June 2018 – 13 July 2018)
* Jörgen Lennartsson (13 July 2018 – 2 December 2019)
* Tom Nordlie (caretaker) (3 December 2019 – 11 December 2019)
* Geir Bakke (31 December 2019 – 12 July 2023)
* Simon Mesfin/ Frode Kippe (caretakers) (12 July 2023 – 20 August 2023)
* Eirik Bakke (caretaker) (20 August 2023 – 21 December 2023)
* Andreas Georgson (21 December 2023 – 26 July 2024)
* Robin Asterhed (caretaker) (9 August 2024 – 23 August 2024)
* David Nielsen (caretaker) (23 August 2024 – 30 September 2024)
* Dag Eilev Fagermo (30 September 2024 – 10 December 2024)
* Hans Erik Ødegaard (10 December 2024 –)

## Supporters

Lillestrøm is one of the most supported clubs in Norway, and has the second biggest fan-club in Norway, as the official fan-club, Kanarifansen has more than 5,000 members. Kanarifansen was founded on 3 December 1992 and publishes its own magazines and has its own collection of clothing.

### Rivalries

Lillestrøm's biggest rival is Vålerenga Fotball. The club also has a rivalry with Rosenborg. Their traditional local rival dated back to the clubs foundation is Strømmen IF.