The 2007 season was SK Brann's 99th season and their 21st consecutive season in the Tippeligaen. Brann won the Tippeligaen in 2007. In the end, they finished 6 points ahead of their nearest rival, Stabæk. The team did cause a small sensation, and bitter disappointment among tens of thousands of Brann supporters who had gathered in Bergen to watch the game live, on 20 October, by losing to Ålesund 1–2 in the 24th of 26 rounds, a match where a draw would have set aside all doubt about Brann's league win.[1] However two days later, Viking defeated Brann's last rival to the gold medals Stabæk with a 2–1 result, thereby securing Brann the first league championship since 1963.[2]
Brann also qualified for the group stage of the UEFA Cup for the first time after beating Club Brugge from Belgium in the qualifier. The team won its first victory in the group stage of the UEFA Cup by defeating the Croatian side Dinamo Zagreb. On 21 December, the draw for the Round of 32 of The UEFA Cup was made and Brann will face a tough test against Premiership side Everton who won all four of the games in Group A. The first leg was lost at home 0–2, 13 February. The return leg is at Goodison Park a week later. They lost the return leg 6–1.
The Norwegian football cup ended for Brann in the 4th round, as in the 2006 season, where they were defeated by Viking.
1 February:Charlie Miller's contract was terminated. Miller had stated that he couldn't play under the leadership of Mons Ivar Mjelde. He later signed with the Belgium side Lierse S.K.[4]
9 February: Ramiro Corrales was deported from Norway after playing the whole 2006 season without a work permit.[5] Brann appealed the decision, still hoping to keep Corrales in the squad.
10 April: Brann opened the Premiership-season with a 1–0 victory against Stabæk away.
22 April: Brann crushed fellow Premiership contender Vålerenga 4–1 in their second homematch of the season. Bengt Sæternes made a huge impact by scoring a "golden hat-trick" in the first half, and securing the win with a header after 66 minutes. After three rounds, Brann is the only team in the Tippeligaen with all wins so far.
12 May: Brann took a lucky win against Sandefjord away, in their Premiership-match number 1000.
20 May: Brann advanced to the 2nd round of the Norwegian cup after an easy 5–0 win against Trio.
1 July: Brann beat Tromsø IL 2–1 in their last game before the summer break. Brann ended up with 26 points, an 8-2-3 win-draw-loss ratio, 25 goals scored and 23 goals against. They were second only to Stabæk I.F. who had 28 points after half played season.
2 July: Brann brought Knut Walde back from Løv-Ham, 1.5 years after they sold him to the same club.[8]
10 July:Erik Huseklepp came to an oral agreement with Stabæk I.F. Huseklepp's contract expires in October, and it's not yet known if he'll stay with Brann til then, or if he leaves the club this summer. Bengt Sæternes however, signed with Danish side OB, and have played his last match for Brann.
11 August: Brann beat Rosenborg 3–2 at home, and created a 10-point gap down to the defending Premiership-champions.
24 August:Azar Karadas signed a 3-year contract with Brann, 5 years after he left the club. The deal between Brann and Benfica is thought to be NOK 3 million.
30 September: Brann took a large step towards the championship after crushing Lillestrøm S.K. 5–1 away, while their closest rivals, Stabæk I.F. stumbled against F.C. Lyn Oslo on Ullevaal Stadion, where they lost 2–3. With 4 matches remaining, Brann had a 7-point gap down to Viking F.K. on second place, a club they would meet in the second to last match.
8 October: Brann had one hand and four fingers on the trophy after defeating F.C. Lyn Oslo 3–1 at home, thus creating a nine-point gap down to Stabæk I.F. with three rounds remaining. Brann only needed one point, or a Stabæk-loss/draw in one of the last three matches to win the league.
22 October: It became official. After Stabæk lost 1–2 against Viking F.K. away, Brann became the champions for the first time in 44 years. Brann had a nine-point gap down to Stabæk, with two rounds remaining, and could thus call themselves champions for the third time in history after their wins in 1962 and 1963.
28 October: Brann defeated Viking 5–2 on Brann Stadion, and was awarded the trophy as the 2007 Tippeligaen Champions.
5 November: Martin Andresen notified the fans that he would leave Brann after the season. He signed a 3-year deal with Vålerenga on 6 November.
Squad
As of July 2007. Matches and goals updated as of 28 October and is for league only.
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.
