– We owe a lot to Bjarne – VG

On Monday, Bjarne Berntsen himself was told that he had finished coaching, while the players only got the message after training on Thursday. Berntsen couldn’t deliver that message to the players himself, so it was general manager Eirik Bjørnø who had to do it.

The news that Berntsen had ended as Vikings coach after the season exploded like a bomb on most people, including the players.

– It was a shock to everyone. No one woke up on Thursday and expected to receive that message, Fredrik Torsteinbø tells VG.

On Friday, the players had free time, so they didn’t have time to discuss the matter as much with each other before Saturday’s game against Start.

Still, they managed to agree on one thing before the game:

– We all agreed that we should go out and play for Bjarne, says Henrik Heggheim.

And they did. With effort and drive, they fought for a 4-1 win over Start, and proved they will give the coach a good send off in the series sprint.

Berntsen joined a club in 2018 that had recently declined and lacked optimism. He has reversed it through promotion, the gold cup, and stabilizing the club in the upper half of the Elite Series.

Tommy Høiland and Iven Austbø are among the players who have been on the team before Berntsen’s entry, and they are clear that it has been important for the Stavanger club.

– We are very grateful for what Bjarne has done for the club. It was a shock for us, as it was for the fans and the rest of the club. It has taken us from the Obosliga to the gold cup, so no one can object to the results, Høiland tells VG.

– We owe a lot to Bjarne. He has meant a lot to this club since he joined. I’m glad I had him here at Viking, and he’s done great things here. It’s always sad when those people disappear, Austbø tells VG, not wanting to delve into what he thinks about the board’s decision.

When Viking led 1-0 in the match against Start, Austbø kept up some brilliant saves, ensuring Viking kept the lead. When the 2-0 goal came, Austbø went on a long run, right in the arms of Berntsen.

– What was behind that celebration, Austbø?

– I think Bjarne deserves his tribute. It’s sad to lose such a good man. This is football, sadly, says Austbø.

When VG spoke to Berntsen in the press area, he spoke of the match as if it were a completely normal match, but when he heard what the players had said about him, he was clearly affected.

– Of course it means everything. They also showed that on the field during the game, so it’s very good, says Berntsen clearly moved to VG.

– I have received enormous support. I’m not from social media, but people have updated me on what’s there. I have a mobile phone and an SMS, and I have received many more statements of support now than when we became cup champions last year. That says it all about engagement here in the region.

For much of Saturday’s game, fans chanted the name of the Viking coach, and after the game he traveled to the roughly 200 fans who were in O field.

When pressed to watch Berntsen dance, he succumbed to the pressure.

– It was very nice. The only thing is the pressure to take the stupid dance steps. I couldn’t resist that, when they’ve been so great for three years, says Berntsen.

Now there are four games left of his Viking career, and the desire for the last few games is clear:

– Hopefully we play as against Start. A Viking team that works very hard and never gives up, and goes down in attack when we can, says Berntsen.

– It is clear that we will race and work so that he gets a finish worthy of us, the players, says Torsteinbø.

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