Viking, the reigning champions of Norway, achieved a historic milestone by defeating Dinamo Zagreb 3-1, following a 2-2 draw in the first leg, to qualify for the UEFA Champions League for the first time. The team celebrated with 15,000 fans at Lyse Arena in Stavanger.
The draw for the main phase of the Champions League will take place on Thursday evening at 19:00.
Norwegian football has become a model for developing countries in the sport. After Bodo/Glimt’s consecutive qualifications for the prestigious tournament, it was Viking’s turn to make an unexpected leap forward.
Viking clinched the Norwegian championship after a 34-year wait. Under the guidance of coach Bjarte Lunde Aarsheim since 2021, and having never bought a player for more than 1.2 million euros, the Stavanger club triumphed over Dinamo Zagreb with an aggregate score of 5-3.
Celebrations Erupt as 15,000 Fans Cheer Viking’s Champions League Qualification
In the return leg, 15,152 spectators witnessed an emotional celebration as fans joined together in jubilation, marking a remarkable turnaround for a team that was relegated to the second division just a decade ago.
The festivities moved to the cramped locker rooms of the small arena in Stavanger, although they won’t last for three days and nights, as Viking faces Bodo/Glimt again in domestic competition on Friday. The two teams are separated by just one point at the top of the league after 17 matches, with Bodo currently in first place.
Bjarte Lunde Aarsheim, Viking’s coach, expressed his joy: “What can I say? All the things I dreamed of have become a reality. What support we had from the fans! What an atmosphere! I felt today was the big day. The energy from the stands carried us to victory. This is a dream come true, more than I ever dared to hope for!”
Viking is not unfamiliar to Romanian football fans, having been eliminated by FCSB in the 2022 Conference League playoffs. While Viking won 2-1 in Bucharest, they lost 1-3 at home after extra time.
Since then, the tables have turned; FCSB was eliminated in the second qualifying round of the Conference League by Auda, losing 3-7 on aggregate, while Viking awaits its opponents in the Champions League.
List of 36 Teams Qualified for the Champions League
Pot 1: PSG, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Inter, Manchester City, Arsenal, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid
Pot 2: Borussia Dortmund, AS Roma, Sporting Lisbon, Aston Villa, FC Porto, Manchester United, Club Brugge, Real Betis, PSV
Pot 3: Feyenoord, Lille, Bodo/Glimt, Napoli, Leipzig, Villarreal, Fenerbahce, Shakhtar, Galatasaray
Pot 4: Slavia Prague, Slovan Bratislava, Stuttgart, AEK Athens, LASK Linz, Como, Lens, Viking, Sabah.
