Eric Kitolano
{{short description|Norwegian footballer (born 1997)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Eric Kitolano
| image =
| fullname = Eric Bugale Kitolano
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1997|9|2|df=y}}
| birth_place = Uvira, DR Congo{{Soccerway|394040}}
| position = Midfielder
| currentclub = Lillestrøm
| clubnumber = 17
| youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2013
| youthclubs1 = Gulset
| youthyears2 = 2014–2016
| youthclubs2 = Odd
| years1 = 2013
| clubs1 = Gulset
| caps1 = 12
| goals1 = 3
| years2 = 2016
| clubs2 = Odd
| caps2 = 0
| goals2 = 0
| years3 = 2017
| clubs3 = Notodden
| caps3 = 21
| goals3 = 4
| years4 = 2018–2019
| clubs4 = Ull/Kisa
| caps4 = 60
| goals4 = 6
| years5 = 2020–2022
| clubs5 = Tromsø
| caps5 = 85
| goals5 = 28
| years6 = 2023–2024
| clubs6 = Molde
| caps6 = 23
| goals6 = 4
| years7 = 2024–
| clubs7 = Lillestrøm
| caps7 = 33
| goals7 = 6
| nationalyears1 = 2015
| nationalteam1 = Norway U18
| nationalcaps1 = 10
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| pcupdate = 2 June 2025
| ntupdate = 9 May 2021
}}
Eric Bugale Kitolano (born 2 September 1997) is a Norwegian football midfielder who plays for Lillestrøm.
Career
Kitolano started his career in Gulset IF, playing on the senior team on the sixth tier before joining the junior team of Odd in 2014. He made his senior debut for Odd in the 2016 Norwegian Cup, with two cup games against Tollnes and Tønsberg. However he was shipped out to Notodden, and Ull/Kisa in 2018.
In 2020 Kitolano joined Tromsø, helped win promotion from the 2020 1. divisjon by scoring double digits, and made his Eliteserien debut in May 2021 against Bodø/Glimt.{{NFF|3030900}}{{cite news|url=https://www.eurosport.no/fotball/obos-ligaen/2019/arets-forste-signering-for-tromso_sto7598489/story.shtml|title=Årets første signering for Tromsø|trans-title=The first signing of the year for Tromsø|language=no|publisher=Eurosport|access-date=2 June 2025}}
On 6 January 2023, Kitolano signed for Molde on a three-year contract.{{cite web |title=ERIC KITOLANO KLAR FOR MOLDE! |url=https://www.moldefk.no/nyheter/eric-kitolano-klar-for-molde |website=moldefk.no/ |publisher=Molde FK |access-date=24 January 2023 |language=Norwegian |date=24 January 2023}}
After only one season at Molde, in February 2024, Kitolano moved to Lillestrøm on a three-year contract.{{cite news|url=https://www.lsk.no/nyheter/eric-kitolano-klar-for-lsk-gleder-meg-veldig-til-a-spille-foran-fansen|title=Eric Kitolano klar for LSK: - Gleder meg veldig til å spille foran fansen|language=no|publisher=Lillestrøm Sk|date=27 February 2024|access-date=27 February 2024}}
Personal life
He is the older brother of fellow footballers John and Joshua Kitolano.{{cite news|url=https://www.vg.no/sport/i/a2y0rA/kitolano-broedrene-hadde-aldri-kommet-dit-vi-er-alene|title=Kitolano-brødrene: – Hadde aldri kommet dit vi er alene|trans-title=The Kitolano brothers: We would never have come where we are alone|language=no|last=Høidalen|first=Ida|publisher=VG|date=8 March 2018|access-date=2 June 2025}}
Career statistics
=Club=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition | ||||||||||
| rowspan=2|Club
!rowspan=2|Season !colspan=3|League !colspan=2|National Cup !colspan=2|Europe !colspan=2|Other !colspan=2|Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Gulset
|2013 |12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 12 | 3 | |||
| Odd
|2016 |0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 2 | 0 | |||
| Notodden
|2017 |21 | 4 | 3 | 0 | colspan=2|— | 4{{efn|Appearances in 2. divisjon promotional play-offs}} | 0 | 28 | 4 | ||
| rowspan=3|Ullensaker/Kisa
|2018 |rowspan=2|1. divisjon |30 | 2 | 3 | 1 | colspan=2|— | 1{{efn|Appearance in Eliteserien play-offs}} | 0 | 34 | 3 | ||
| 2019
|30 | 4 | 2 | 1 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 32 | 5 | |||
| colspan=2|Total
!60 | 6 | 5 | 2 | colspan=2|— | 1 | 0 | 66 | 8 | ||
| rowspan=4|Tromsø
|2020 |1. divisjon |28 | 11 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 28 | 11 | ||||
| 2021
|rowspan=2|Eliteserien |28 | 4 | 2 | 0 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 30 | 4 | |||
| 2022
|29 | 13 | 3 | 3 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 32 | 16 | |||
| colspan=2|Total
!85 | 28 | 5 | 3 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 90 | 31 | |||
| rowspan=3|Molde
|2023 |rowspan=2|Eliteserien |23 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 9{{efn|Four appearances in UEFA Champions League and five appearances and one goal in UEFA Europa League}} | 1 | colspan=2|— | 39 | 7 | ||
| 2024
|0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2{{efn|Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League}} | 0 | colspan=2|— | 2 | 0 | ||
| colspan=2|Total
!23 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 11 | 1 | colspan=2|—||41 | 7 | |||
| rowspan=3|Lillestrøm
|2024 |Eliteserien |24 | 3 | 4 | 1 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 28 | 4 | |||
| 2025
|1. divisjon |9 | 3 | 4 | 1 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 13 | 4 | |||
| colspan=2|Total
!33 | 6 | 8 | 2 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 41 | 8 | |||
| colspan=3|Career total
!234 | 51 | 30 | 9 | 11 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 280 | 61 |
{{notelist}}
Honours
Tromsø
Molde
- Norwegian Cup: 2023{{cite news|url=https://www.fotball.no/turneringer/nm-menn/2023/slik-stiller-finalelagene/|title=Molde er cupmester: - Det er en magisk følelse|trans-title=Molde are cup champions: - It's a magical feeling|language=no|last=Madsen|first=Christer|publisher=NFF|date=9 December 2023|access-date=2 June 2025}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Lillestrøm SK squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kitolano, Eric}}
Category:Democratic Republic of the Congo emigrants to Norway
Category:Footballers from Skien
Category:Norwegian men's footballers
Category:Ullensaker/Kisa IL players
Category:Lillestrøm SK players
Category:Norwegian Second Division players
Category:Norwegian First Division players
Category:Men's association football midfielders
Category:Norway men's youth international footballers
Category:21st-century Norwegian sportsmen
{{Norway-footy-midfielder-stub}}