Bente Kvitland

{{short description|Norwegian footballer (born 1974)}}

{{Use dmy dates |date=July 2023}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Bente Kvitland

| image =

| fullname = Bente Kvitland

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1974|6|23|df=y}}

| birth_place =

| height = {{height|cm=170}}

| currentclub =

| clubnumber =

| position = Defender

| youthyears1=

| youthclubs1= Rissa IL

| years1= 1991–1994

| clubs1= Stadsbygd

| caps1=

| goals1 =

| years2= 1995–1997

| clubs2= Verdal

| caps2=

| goals2 =

| years3= 1998

| clubs3= Byåsen

| caps3=

| goals3 =

| years4= 1999–2004

| clubs4= Trondheims-Ørn

| caps4= 99

| goals4 = 3

| years5= 2005

| clubs5= Asker

| caps5= 18

| goals5 = 1

| nationalyears1= 1999–2002

| nationalteam1= Norway

| nationalcaps1= 37

| nationalgoals1 = 1

| medaltemplates=

{{MedalSport |Women's football}}

{{MedalCountry | {{NOR}}}}

{{MedalCompetition|Olympic Games}}

{{MedalGold|2000 Atlanta|Team}}

| pcupdate = 17:38, 7 December 2014 (UTC)

| ntupdate = 17:38, 7 December 2014 (UTC)

}}

Bente Kvitland (born 23 June 1974) is a Norwegian former footballer who was an Olympic champion with the Norway women's national football team. She played club football in the Toppserien for Trondheims-Ørn and Asker.

Kvitland grew up in Skaugdalen in Rissa Municipality, Norway.{{cite web|title=Møteprotokoll |url=http://www.rissa.kommune.no/file.axd?fileid=18316 |website=Rissa Kommune |accessdate=7 December 2014 |page=11 |language=Norwegian |format=PDF |date=19 April 2012 |quote=Bente Kvitland vokste opp i Skaugdalen, Rissa. I løpet av karrieren spilte hun for Stadsbygd, Trondheims-Ørn og Asker. |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141209071402/http://www.rissa.kommune.no/file.axd?fileid=18316 |archivedate=9 December 2014 }} In 1991 she began playing club football for Stadsbygd and spent three seasons with Verdal from 1995 until 1997.{{cite news|title=Blid og beskjeden|url=http://www.adressa.no/sport/article338684.ece|accessdate=7 December 2014|publisher=Adresseavisen|date=29 September 2000|language=Norwegian}} She played for Trondheims-Ørn from 1999 until 2004, winning the Toppserien and the Norwegian Women's Cup on three occasions each. After winning another Cup with Asker in 2005, Kvitland retired from football to focus on her employment as a prison officer ({{langx|no|fengselsbetjent}}) in Oslo.{{cite news|title=Fotballen på hylla|url=http://www.fosna-folket.no/incoming/article59529.ece|accessdate=7 December 2014|publisher=Fosna-Folket|date=6 January 2006|language=Norwegian}}

In October 1999 Kvitland made her senior national team debut—a 4–0 win in Portugal—but she had not been selected for Norway's 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup squad.{{cite news|title=Norges VM-tropp|url=http://www.vg.no/sport/fotball/fotball-vm-kvinner-1999/norges-vm-tropp/a/1522572/|accessdate=7 October 2014|publisher=Verdens Gang|date=20 June 1999|language=Norwegian}} In Kvitland's fourth appearance she scored a free kick from 30 metres, the second goal in Norway's 3–0 2001 UEFA Women's Championship qualification win over England at Carrow Road on 7 March 2000.{{cite news|last1=Eidissen|first1=Børje Klæboe|title=Jentene mot EM|url=https://www.dagbladet.no/sport/jentene-mot-em/65583432 |accessdate=7 December 2014|publisher=Dagbladet|date=7 March 2000|language=Norwegian}}

She collected a total of 37 caps for Norway and was an alternate on the squad that won gold at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.[http://www.databaseolympics.com/games/gamessport.htm?g=25&sp=SOC "2000 Summer Olympics – Melbourne, Australia – Soccer"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120811080748/http://www.databaseolympics.com/games/gamessport.htm?g=25&sp=SOC |date=2012-08-11 }} (Retrieved on May 16, 2008) She played in Norway's UEFA Women's Euro 2001 campaign,{{cite news|last1=Bohlin|first1=Gøran|title=Forberedt på grisespill|url=http://www.vg.no/sport/fotball/fotball-em-kvinner-2001/forberedt-paa-grisespill/a/6341814/|accessdate=7 October 2014|publisher=Verdens Gang|date=28 June 2001|language=Norwegian}} which ended with a 1–0 semi-final defeat by hosts Germany in Ulm.