Andreas Aalbu

{{Infobox football biography

|name = Andreas Aalbu

|fullname =

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1990|3|26|df=y}}

|birth_place = Bærum, Norway

|height = 1.91 m{{Soccerway|andreas-aalbu/234162}}

|position = Midfielder

|currentclub = Vålerenga (marketing director)

|youthyears1 =

|youthclubs1 = Bærum

|years1 = 2009–2012

|clubs1 = Bærum

|caps1 =

|goals1 =

|years2 = 2013

|clubs2 = Kristiansund

|caps2 = 26

|goals2 = 0

|years3 = 2014–2015

|clubs3 = Bærum

|caps3 = 47

|goals3 = 14

|years4 = 2015–2016

|clubs4 = Fredrikstad

|caps4 = 26

|goals4 = 3

|years5 = 2016

|clubs5 = → Varberg (loan)

|caps5 = 10

|goals5 = 0

|years6 = 2017–2018

|clubs6 = Ull/Kisa

|caps6 = 35

|goals6 = 8

|years7 = 2018

|clubs7 = Fredrikstad

|caps7 = 11

|goals7 = 3

|years8 = 2019

|clubs8 = Høvik

|manageryears1 = 2019–2020

|managerclubs1 = Ull/Kisa (marketing director)

|manageryears2 = 2020–2022

|managerclubs2 = Ull/Kisa (managing director)

|manageryears3 = 2023

|managerclubs3 = Stabæk (marketing director)

|manageryears4 = 2023–

|managerclubs4 = Vålerenga (marketing director)

}}

Andreas Aalbu (born 26 March 1990) is a Norwegian footballer who played as a midfielder. He spent most of his playing career in the Norwegian First Division from 2012 to 2018, also becoming known for staff roles after his active career.

Personal life

He is the son of Jan-Erik Aalbu and Ellen Scheel, both footballers, though only his mother represented Norway on international level.

The family resided in the United States for two years when he was little. As a child and teenager he also participated in ski jumping, representing the club Lommedalens IL.{{cite news|title=Hoppsjefens sønn sikter mot landslaget|last=Kolve|first=André|date=17 February 2003|work=Porsgrunns Dagblad|author-link=André Kolve|page=14|language=no}} He jumped 125 metres, but retired from ski jumping at the age of 14. Through his adolescence, it turned out that he grew too tall to be a ski jumper anyway.

Career

Andreas Aalbu made the step from Bærum SK's youth team to its senior team, eventually winning promotion from the 2011 2. divisjon.

Of Aalbu's 79 league and playoff games for Bærum in the First Division, 78 were in the starting eleven. He also spent one year (2013) in Kristiansund BK.{{NFF|2261580}} He did not score a single goal in Kristiansund, but upon returning to Bærum, he scored three goals and made one assist in the opening match of the 2014 1. divisjon.{{cite news|title=36 poeng bør holde, Bærum|last=Gulbrandsen|first=Ragnhild|date=7 April 2014|work=Budstikka|author-link=Ragnhild Gulbrandsen|page=14|language=no}}

The 2014 season ended with Bærum reaching an all-time high, the 2014 Eliteserien promotion/relegation play-offs.

In the summer window of 2015, however, Aalbu joined Fredrikstad FK, a larger club, but one that struggled in the table. On leaving Bærum who sunk into in a similar situation, Aalbu stated that the loss of Bærum's former manager and several players meant that Bærum had lost "some of its soul". Fredrikstad also had much larger fan crowds, and he became fully professional as a footballer.{{cite news|title=Skal servere scoringer til 20 i stil|last=Henriksen|first=Vidar|date=21 August 2015|work=Fredriksstad Blad|page=24|language=no}}{{cite news|title=– Det var godt å komme bort|last=Fløttum|first=Petter|date=5 October 2015|work=Budstikka|page=12|language=no}} He made his debut against Strømmen in August 2015, scoring once, followed by his home debut in late August, scoring again.{{cite news|title=Flott debut av Andreas Aalbu: Seier etter stort drama|last=Henriksen|first=Vidar|author2=Carlsson, Geir A.|date=17 August 2015|work=Fredriksstad Blad|pages=16–17|language=no}}{{cite news|title=– Det blir en morsom høst|last=Henriksen|first=Vidar|date=31 August 2015|work=Fredriksstad Blad|pages=16–17|language=no}}

Fredrikstad barely survived relegation in the closing minutes of the 2015 1. divisjon, after a goal from Aalbu secured one point for Fredrikstad, as well as other results being favourable.{{cite news|url=https://www.nrk.no/ostfold/ffk-holdt-plassen-etter-vanvittig-overtidsdrama-1.12631997|title=– Det her er helt sinnsykt|last=Johnsen|first=Thomas|author2=Johnsen, Trond|date=1 November 2015|publisher=NRK|language=no|access-date=7 December 2024}}

In 2016 he was loaned to Varbergs BoIS of the Superettan. Ljungskile SK was also rumoured to be interested.{{cite news|url=https://www.expressen.se/gt/sport/superettaklubb-varvar-tva-norska-spelare/|title=Superettaklubb värvar två norska spelare|last=Kalméus|first=Kajsa|date=7 July 2016|work=Expressen|language=sv|access-date=7 December 2024}} He then surfaced in Ull/Kisa before the start of the 2017 season. He made his debut in a La Manga friendly and scored the only goal of the match against Florø.{{cite news|title=Aalbu avgjorde i debuten|last=Hansen|first=Thomas|date=14 March 2017|work=Eidsvoll Ullensaker Blad|page=17|language=no}} In 2018, he went back to the Second Division for the first time since 2011, and also to another former club of his, when signing for promotion chasers Fredrikstad FK.{{cite news|url=https://www.eurosport.no/fotball/obos-ligaen/2018/hogmo-forsterker-med-spiller-fra-obos-ligaen_fot_sto6844448/story.shtml|title=Høgmo forsterker med spiller fra OBOS-ligaen|last=Olsen|first=Christine Skarstein|date=12 July 2018|publisher=Eurosport|language=no|access-date=7 December 2024}}

Post-playing career

Aalbu studied sport management at Molde University College and the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences. He got his first job within sports shortly after ending his playing career in late 2018, when Ull/Kisa hired him as director of marketing and sponsorates.{{cite news|title=Kisa ansatte sponsor- og markedsansvarlig|date=28 November 2018|work=Eidsvoll Ullensaker Blad|page=15|language=no}}

In January 2020, Aalbu was announced as Ull/Kisa's new managing director. He took over for Cato Strømberg, a man credited with transforming Ull/Kisa to an elite club competing in the second highest league.{{cite news|url=https://www.eurosport.no/fotball/obos-ligaen/2019/gir-seg-som-daglig-leder-etter-ni-ar-har-vaert-helt-avgjorende_sto7639788/story.shtml|title=Gir seg som daglig leder etter ni år: – Har vært helt avgjørende|last=Stormoen|first=Stein-Erik|date=28 January 2020|publisher=Eurosport|language=no|access-date=7 December 2024}} He sometimes employed an antagonistic style, stating on social media that "he would not set foot" on the grounds of his former club Bærum SK, following a disagreement over COVID-19 rules.{{cite news|title=Bærum-profil: – Setter ikke mine bein på Sandvika stadion i 2020|last=Holmlund|first=Tor Bjørnar|date=12 June 2020|work=Budstikka|page=15|language=no}}

In the early summer of 2021, Aalbu experienced that Ull/Kisa hired a new manager, Sindre Tjelmeland, who resigned only five matches into the season to take over a larger club.{{cite news|url=https://www.eurosport.no/fotball/obos-ligaen/2020/diskuterer-trenersporsmalet-i-kveld-assistent-sundgot-melder-seg-pa_sto8384409/story.shtml|title=Diskuterer trenerspørsmålet i kveld – assistenten melder seg på|last=Stormoen|first=Stein-Erik|date=21 June 2021|publisher=Eurosport|language=no|access-date=7 December 2024}} In reality, Aalbu and Tjelmeland maintained an amicable personal relation.{{cite news|url=https://www.eurosport.no/fotball/obos-ligaen/2021/freste-da-treneren-stakk-na-inngar-de-vapenhvile-blitt-glade-i-hverandre_sto8417408/story.shtml|title=Freste da treneren stakk, nå inngår de våpenhvile: – Blitt glade i hverandre|last=Miøen|first=Joakim|date=14 July 2021|publisher=Eurosport|language=no|access-date=7 December 2024}} The season ended in relegation for Ull/Kisa.{{cite news|url=https://www.nettavisen.no/sport/ull-kisa-rykket-ned-fra-1-divisjon-kfum-og-sogndal-sikret-kvalifiseringsplass/s/12-95-3424211721|title=Ull/Kisa rykket ned fra 1. divisjon – KFUM og Sogndal sikret kvalifiseringsplass|date=27 November 2021|work=Nettavisen|language=no|agency=Norwegian News Agency|access-date=7 December 2024}}

In September 2022 he joined Bærum SK's main rival, Stabæk Fotball, as their new marketing director.

In Budstikka, Aalbu vowed not to change jobs in the foreseeable future. The question was posed because his father had acquired a reputation for jumping between a considerable number of executive jobs.{{cite news|title=Aalbu mot en ny epoke|last=Holmlund|first=Tor Bjørnar|date=28 January 2023|work=Budstikka|page=27|language=no}}

After one year, in September 2023 it was announced that Andreas Aalbu had been persuaded to take over as marketing director of Vålerenga Fotball, starting in 2024.{{cite news|url=https://www.nettavisen.no/sport/nyhetsstudio-sport/s/5-95-733007?post=6457449|title=Aalbu går til Vålerenga – Stabæk sender spøkefull melding|date=19 September 2023|work=Nettavisen|agency=Norwegian News Agency|language=no|access-date=7 December 2024}} He was allowed to leave Stabæk before 2023 ended;{{cite news|url=https://www.nrk.no/sport/stabaek-slo-tilbake-mot-syrlig-vif-stikk-_-spokefull-_ordkrig_-foran-skjebnekampen-1.16631116|title=Stabæk slo tilbake mot syrlig VIF-stikk – spøkefull "ordkrig" foran skjebnekampen|date=9 November 2023|publisher=NRK|language=no|access-date=7 December 2024|agency=Norwegian News Agency}} a season that saw both Stabæk and Vålerenga being relegated from the 2023 Eliteserien.

He criticized Viaplay's decision to air the Saudi Premier League.{{cite news|url=https://www.nettavisen.no/sport/valerenga-toppen-andreas-aalbu-slakter-viaplays-saudi-arabia-grep/s/5-95-2029693|title=Fotballtopp slakter Viaplay-grep: – Bare trist|last=Clausen|first=Åsmund|date=26 September 2024|work=Nettavisen|language=no|access-date=7 December 2024}}