Viking Stavanger end 34-year drought with Norwegian title win
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STAVANGER, Norway, Nov 30 - Viking Stavanger hammered Valerenga 5-1 at home on the final day of Norway's top-flight Eliteserien to hold off the challenge of Bodo/Glimt and secure the Norwegian league title for the first time in 34 years, prompting a pitch invasion of delirious fans.
Having finished third last term, five points behind champions Bodo, Stavanger held their nerve in a thrilling run-in, winning their last seven games to end up with 71 points, one more than Bodo.
Knowing a win on the final day would secure the title, any nerves were quickly dispelled when Edvin Austboe scored for Stavanger after 10 minutes, and a goal from Martin Ove Roseth and a penalty from Zlatko Tripic sent them in 3-0 up at the break.
Valerenga's Elias Kristoffersen Hagen dampened the mood a little when he pulled one back for the visitors five minutes after the break, but two more goals put the crowd back in party mood and the final whistle was greeted with an explosion of joy in the stadium.
Bodo, who have been battling to hold their own in this season's Champions League group stage, did what they could to keep the pressure on by beating Fredrikstad 5-0 at home, but their adventures in Europe, which took them to the semi-finals of last season's Europa League, had already taken their toll as Viking edged them to the title.
"It's completely surreal, to stand in this crowd," defender Kristoffer Haugen, who netted Viking's fourth goal, said.
"I don't know what to say. I've been dreaming about this ever since. I started going to the stadium when I was two years old. This is a boy's dream come true," he added as fans wildly celebrated the club's first league trophy since 1991.
At the other end of the table, FK Haugesund and Stromsgodset were relegated, while Bryne will face a playoff against Aalesund to see if they can retain their top-flight status for 2026. REUTERS
