Arna-Bjørnar
Arna-Bjørnar
Norwegian football club
Arna-Bjørnar Fotball is a Norwegian football club from Arna, Bergen.
It was founded in late 2000 as a merger between the football branches from IL Bjørnar and Arna T&IL, and replaced Bjørnar IL in the league system from 2001. The women's team has played since then in the Toppserien apart from the 2005 season when it was in the First divisjon.
Prominent members of the women's team (2009) are goalkeepers Reidun Seth and Erika Skarbø, and Nigerian keeper Precious Dede brought in to cover while Skarbø recovers from a long-term wrist injury. Arna-Bjørnar has earned a reputation for developing young players and the squad includes the former and current Norway Under-19 captains, Maren Mjelde and Kristine Hegland, and prominent former Under-19 players Caroline Walde and Ingrid Ryland, both now Under-23 players, as well as senior international Madeleine Giske who played in the FIFA Women's World Cup 2007.[citation needed] The team has players in Norway's Under-17 team also.
Arna-Bjørnar's women's team is trained by Morten Kalvenes, brother of former Burnley player Christian Kalvenes.
In February 2011 the club had 13 players selected for Norway's international teams at senior level, Under-23, Under-19 and Under-17.[1]
The men's team currently plays in the 3. divisjon, and reached the second round of the Norwegian Football Cup in 2012, when they lost 1–0 to Hødd[2] who won the cup that season.
