Morten Jensen

Viking stun Bayern and put a 34-year revival on Europe’s stage

Viking’s dramatic Champions League draw with Bayern Munich has become a landmark for a Stavanger club that rose from a 5-0 second-tier defeat in 2018 to win Norway’s title in 2025. Chief executive Eirik Bjorno and sporting director Erik Nevland say a homegrown core, local leadership and an unconventional coaching partnership underpin the resurgence.

Morten Jensen and Bjarte Lunde Aarsheim, Viking Stavanger's joint head coaches since November 2020, are preparing to oversee the club's first home Champions League game against Bayern Munich on Tuesday. The pair, who met on Norway's semi-professional scene more than a decade ago, won last year's Eliteserien title and built a local-minded project after winning over CEO Eirik Bjørnø and sporting director Erik Nevland with a sheep-and-wolves presentation.