When Viking FK finally ended their 34-year wait for a Norwegian league title last season, the celebrations in Stavanger were not merely about domestic dominance. They were the culmination of a long, arduous journey—a climb back from the abyss that paved the way for the club to realize their ultimate ambition: competing on the grandest stage in European football. This Wednesday, that dream reaches a new milestone as Viking travels to England to face Aston Villa, a fixture that feels like a reward for years of resilience, tactical innovation, and a stubborn refusal to conform to the norms of the modern game.
The anticipation surrounding the Villa Park encounter is fueled by the momentum of a spectacular opening to their Champions League campaign. Last time out, Viking stunned European royalty in a 3-3 draw against Bayern Munich. It was a match that encapsulated the audacity of this Norwegian side; they raced into a 2-0 lead, forced a frantic scramble to rescue a point in the final minute, and left the football world wondering if the Stavanger club was perhaps more than just a plucky underdog.
For the club’s captain, Zlatko Tripic, the result against Bayern was an emotional validation of his career choice. Having joined the club in 2018—a time when the team was languishing in the second tier—Tripic has been the heartbeat of their resurgence. After the final whistle against the German giants, he told Norwegian channel TV2, his voice thick with pride: "I could have played another 90 minutes. I’m so incredibly proud. I’ve waited 34 years for this."
A Partnership Built on Local Roots
Tripic is just one thread in the tapestry of Viking’s revival. Central to the story is a tactical rarity in the high-stakes world of professional football: a joint management team. Morten Jensen and Bjarte Lunde Aarsheim, both former assistants at the club, were promoted to the top job together in 2021. Their success has been immediate and sustained, leading the team to last year’s title and positioning them at the top of the Eliteserien table again this season.
Their philosophy is rooted in a deep, almost romantic connection to the club. Bjarte Lunde Aarsheim, who spent the vast majority of his playing career wearing the Viking shirt, views their appointment not as a career move, but as a calling. "It’s a special story," Aarsheim told the BBC’s Euro Leagues show recently. "We were born Viking fans, we’ve been playing in Viking. We were working together as assistant coaches and the dream job in managing Viking came up. We said let’s do it together. It will be better and the chances to get the job will be better."
The duo’s approach to the club’s identity is uncompromising. In a recent interview with the Guardian, Aarsheim articulated a mindset that defines their locker room culture: "For us, Viking is Barcelona. The players have to understand that we see Viking as more than a club. In our heads, it’s the best team in the world."
Morten Jensen, whose own playing career with the club was limited to the fringes, brings a pragmatic, innovative edge to the partnership. He believes that standing out in the crowded marketplace of European football requires a willingness to defy conventional wisdom. "If you dare sometimes to go against the strides, then you can achieve great things," Jensen explained. "If you’re going to follow and do whatever everybody else does, maybe we become a poor replica. So for now, we’re happily married here and we love working together."
Diving into the European Buffet
For a club that had not featured in a European group stage since the 2005-06 UEFA Cup, the jump to the Champions League has been a dizzying, exhilarating experience. Aarsheim admits that the progression feels surreal. "We talked about it—maybe you should go into the Conference League and learn there, then you go into the Europa League. And we just jumped into the best party ever, so it’s unreal."
The fixture list has been described by Jensen as "the whole buffet." It is a schedule that reads like a pilgrimage through the history and passion of European football. "We go to England, we go to Germany, we go to Italy, we go to Spain," Jensen noted. "We go to Napoli, Diego Maradona’s old playground; against Atletico Madrid, we’ll be up against Diego Simeone’s side, which will be very interesting. And obviously Aston Villa as well. Norwegians are quite obsessed with English football, so to go there to Villa Park—and actually our old assistant coach Pal Fjall is the set-piece coach there—is special."
The Long Road Back
Viking is historically one of Norway’s most prestigious clubs, boasting nine league titles. However, the golden era of the 1970s and early 80s—where six of those nine titles were secured—eventually gave way to decades of inconsistency. The club has seen a revolving door of managers, including notable British figures like the late Bill Foulkes, a survivor of the 1958 Munich air disaster, and Roy Hodgson, who led the team for 18 months in the mid-2000s.
The club has also served as a launchpad for several players who later carved out successful careers in the English Premier League, such as strikers Egil Ostenstad and Erik Nevland, and the imposing defender Brede Hangeland. Nevland, who also spent time at Manchester United, has returned to the club as sporting director, helping to steer the ship since 2021.
Despite these connections, the club hit rock bottom in 2017 when, under English manager Ian Burchnall, they suffered relegation for the first time in 31 years. It was a traumatic event for the city, but in hindsight, many supporters view it as a necessary clearing of the decks. Local fan and observer Risan reflects on that period: "They spent too much money on players who weren’t good enough. A lot of things went wrong and it ended in relegation. But it turned out to be a good thing for Viking."
Rebuilding the Viking Way
The recovery began in 2018 with the return of veteran coach Bjarne Berntsen. A club icon who had served in almost every capacity from player to CEO, Berntsen was tasked with restoring the club’s identity. He brought in Aarsheim and Jensen as his assistants, and together they secured an immediate return to the top flight.
"They realized they had to go back to their roots and make the people of Stavanger proud of Viking, and be part of the Viking family," Risan notes. "There were a lot of local players; they invested in the youth academy. They built for the future something that would be stable for years and not relying on money from ‘rich uncles,’ as we say in Norway."
The momentum proved sustainable. After winning the 2019 Norwegian Cup—the club’s first major trophy since 2001—the club faced a transition point when Berntsen was sacked following the 2020 season. Despite initial skepticism from the public, the decision to promote Aarsheim and Jensen full-time proved to be a masterstroke. They finished third in 2021 and 2024, finally clinching the title last season with a dominant run of seven consecutive victories to close the campaign.
The Captain’s Influence
Central to this success is Zlatko Tripic, whose return to the club after a spell in Turkey has been transformative. When Tripic first signed in 2018, many viewed it as a temporary move for a player who had already won two titles with Molde. Instead, he chose to commit his peak years to the rebuilding project.
"He was a profile, someone we didn’t think we could sign," Risan says. "We thought he just came to keep fit and train. But he really liked the idea of taking the club to something great and being part of a good story. Viking is traditionally a big club, but it was down in the dust. He’s been a big part of taking Viking back to the top of the table."
Tripic’s impact has been statistical as well as inspirational. He became the first Viking player to reach double figures in both goals and assists for three consecutive seasons. As the team prepares for the lights of Villa Park, they look to their captain to provide the leadership and creativity that has defined their journey from the second division to the elite. For a club that has spent decades in the shadows of its own history, this Champions League campaign is the ultimate testament to what happens when a club stays true to its identity.
