The 2009 season was SK Brann's 101st season and their 23rd consecutive season in the Tippeligaen. Steinar Nilsen took over as head coach after the six-year tenure of Mons Ivar Mjelde. The club didn't see the big signings or sales in the January transferwindow. Local-lad Erlend Hanstveit left the club after 10 years, while thought-to-be star striker Njogu Demba-Nyrén was sold only one year after signing with the club following a season where his performance was below expectations.
The season started horrific for the "pride of Bergen". In the first premiership match of the season, Brann lost 1-3 against newly promoted Sandefjord, followed by two ties, a loss and another tie. Brann didn't win a game until the sixth round where they beat Bodø/Glimt 2-0 away.
The club's form improved as the season went by, but they were never a serious contender to the league title. After being knocked out in the Quarterfinals of the Norwegian Football Cup by Odd Grenland), the season seemed to end up as a total disappointment for the fans. One of the few highlights of the season was the performances of Erik Huseklepp who had his definite breakthrough as a player. In his first season as a striker, Huseklepp scored 15 goals in the league, only two goals shy of the top scorer Rade Prica. The technical striker had previously played as a right winger, scoring 4 goals in 4 seasons for Brann. He also became a regular in the national team squad, scoring his first goal for Norway in the World Cup qualifier against Scotland on August 2, 2009.
Before the last games of season, Brann found themselves in a situation where they had a legitimate chance to snatch the bronze medals, but in the end they had to settle for a fifth place, which didn't qualify for a spot in the Europa League.
Information
Manager:Steinar Nilsen League:Tippeligaen Shirt supplier:Kappa Shirt sponsor: Sparebanken Vest Average league attendance: 15,932 (4th best in club history at the time) League result : 5th Norwegian Cup:Quarterfinals (1-5 against Odd Grenland) Top goal scorer: Erik Huseklepp (15 in league, 0 in cup, 15 in total) Player of the year: -
January 10:Erlend Hanstveit chose to not take Brann up on their last contract offer. He reasoned his decision with his wish to play abroad. The wingback had played for the club since 1998.[2]
January 26:Njogu Demba-Nyrén returned to Denmark after signing a 3.5 year contract with OB. In addition to a money fee worth between NOK 6 and 7 million, Brann also got the Danish striker David Nielsen.[3]
March 22: Brann took their first point of the season after playing 1-1 against the reigning championsStabæk Fotball.[9] The match was characterized by terrible playing conditions, as the new gras at Brann Stadion hadn't had time to grow properly into the soil.[10]
April 27: Brann took their first three-pointer of the season after a 2-0 win against Bodø/Glimt away in the sixth round of the 2009 Tippeligaen. David Nielsen scored both of Brann's goals, his first in the red jersey.[11]
August 8: Brann was knocked-out of the Norwegian Cup after a 5-1 loss against Odd Grenland in the quarterfinals. The match at Skagerak Arena was not without controversy. After 29 minutes, Håkon Opdal and Hassan El Fakiri got injured in a duel after a cornerkick. Opdal injured his knee, but was able to continue, while El Fakiri had to leave the pitch temporary to treat a cut in the head. Three minutes later, Opdal got an easy pass that he intended to play up the pitch. Just when he was about to kick the ball, Opdal's knee gave up on him, causing him to fall to the ground and losing control over the ball. Odd-striker Péter Kovács took advantage of the situation and put the ball in the net with ease.[18] His actions was seen as an act of unsportsmanship and a breach of Fair Play by the Brann-players. Brann also had Eirik Bakkesent off, while Ólafur Örn Bjarnason missed a penalty kick.[19]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
The team kits for the 2009 season were produced by Kappa and the main shirt sponsor was Sparebanken Vest. Other sponsors featured on the kit were BKK (shoulders), JM Byggholt (chest), BA (left arm), Chess (upper back), Frydenbø (shorts) and Tide (socks).