Online Encyclopedia
Norwegian Premier League
The Norwegian Premier League is the top football league division in Norway. It has two names in Norwegian: Eliteserien, which means "the league of the elite", and Tippeligaen, which means "the betting league" (it got this name because it was sponsored by Norsk tipping (Norwegian Betting); a bookmaking company).
The Norwegian Premier League consists of 14 teams that play each other twice (home and away) during the season (which lasts from April until October). The two worst ranked teams at the end of the season are relegated, while the third worst ranked team has to play two qualification matches (home and away) against the third best team in the 1st division (the division beneath the Premier League). The league is dominated by Rosenborg, who have won the title for last 12 years. The winner of the league qualifies for the Champions League and the four highest ranked teams (including the winner) qualify for the Royal League. The league is extremely popular in Norway, even though it has been critizised of being boring, because of Rosenborg's extreme dominance.
Related topics
- List of Premier League Champions from 1965 to present time
- List of football clubs in Norway
- Norwegian Premier League 2000, 2003, 2004