TRONDHEIM (VG) (Rosenborg-Strømsgodset 2-2) Rosenborg fought back in the match, but abused the opportunity to secure 4th place and still hope for games in Europe in 2022.
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– Now I will drive home, and book a flight to Denmark, and do away with a funeral on Tuesday. Then I’ll just relax, unwind, and not think so much about football. Try to enjoy life as best you can, says Hareide to VG.
After fifty years in football, 35 of them as coaches, Åge Hareide (68) has become a football pensioner. The impressive merit list consists of matches for Hødd, Molde, Norwich and Bayern Munich, among others, as well as fifty international matches for Norway.
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As club coach, Hareide has led Molde and Rosenborg on two occasions each, in addition to leading the national teams to both Norway and Denmark. Hareide led the latter to the European Championships in 2021, a championship he was not allowed to participate in when the contract expired in 2020 when the European Championships were actually to be held.
It was this summer that Hareide announced that the 2021 season will be his last as a coach. It is mainly family reasons that make Hareide now want to spend less time on football, and more time on those who have been waiting patiently for him.
Disappointing first half
In the farewell match, Rosenborg was dependent on a result at least as good as both Lillestrøm and Vålerenga to secure 4th place that can provide qualifying games for next year’s Conference league (if Bodø / Glimt, Molde or Viking win the NM 2021 this spring).
If one is to interpret the first half, it did not seem that the home team’s players were interested in giving the coach the farewell he wanted. In a very poor chance for Rosenborg in the first half, the away team went to the break with a 2-0 lead.
After 13 minutes, Lars Vilsvik sent a free kick in high over the penalty box. Then Rosenborg stopper Even Hovland was last on the ball and sent the ball into his own net midway through the half, after Halldor Stenevik pulled down to the dead line and hit in front of goal.
– What happened today is symptomatic of the whole season. We created big problems for ourselves in a match that required a different result. When we concede two goals, it will be a long way up, Hareide says after the match.