Eggen masterminds another title for Rosenborg

Rosenborg BK clinched their 22nd Norwegian title on Sunday night thanks to a 1-0 win against Tromsø IL which came courtesy of Rade Prica's goal with 11 minutes remaining.

The Trondheim side were expected to retain their crown in style this year and have not disappointed, remaining unbeaten all season and ending any lingering suspense with two fixtures to go. Victory against Tromsø – their 19th of the campaign – means that the UEFA Europa League contenders now lie eight points clear of nearest challengers Vålerenga Fotball and can therefore not be caught.

It was former coach Erik Hamrén who first made Rosenborg such a tough nut to crack prior to his departure to take over the Sweden national team in May. Nils Arne Eggen, the most successful coach in the history of the Norwegian league, assumed the reins and has seamlessly picked up from where his predecessor left off.

"It was nice to finally settle it; the game against Tromsø was far from easy and there were a lot of tired legs out there," said Eggen, who has won 14 titles in his six spells at Rosenborg plus another with Moss FK in 1987. "I'll leave it to the youngsters to celebrate. I would also like to share this with Erik Hamrén, who really contributed before he left. We hope he will be here for our last home game."

Rosenborg's success has no doubt been built on a fine team unit, but the performances of forward-thinking full-backs Mikael Dorsin and Mikael Lustig, defensive midfielder Anthony Annan and strikers Prica and Steffen Iversen have all been particularly eye-catching this term. It has also been a significant campaign for 40-year-old midfielder Roar Strand, who will now retire at the end of the season with a 16th league title under his belt.