Harald Aabrekk

{{short description|Norwegian footballer and manager (born 1956)}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Harald Aabrekk

| image = Harald Aabrekk 2006-06-06 (crop).jpg

| caption = Aabrekk in 2006

| fullname = Harald Olav Aabrekk

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1956|02|22|df=y}}

| birth_place = Nordfjordeid, Norway

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height =

| position = Midfielder

| currentclub =

| youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–1973

| youthclubs1 = Eid

| years1 = 1974–1982

| clubs1 = Sogndal

| caps1 = 133

| goals1 = 35

| years2 = 1978

| clubs2 = Brann

| caps2 = 1

| goals2 = 0

| manageryears1 = 1983–1984

| managerclubs1 = Eid

| manageryears2 = 1985–1986

| managerclubs2 = Sandane

| manageryears3 = 1987–1989

| managerclubs3 = Stryn

| manageryears4 = 1990–1992

| managerclubs4 = Sogndal

| manageryears5 = 1993–1995

| managerclubs5 = Tromsø

| manageryears6 = 1998–1999

| managerclubs6 = Brann

| manageryears7 = 2002–2005

| managerclubs7 = Haugesund

| manageryears8 = 2007

| managerclubs8 = Vålerenga

| manageryears9 = 2010–2011

| managerclubs9 = Sogndal

| manageryears10 = 2015

| managerclubs10 = Aalesund

}}

Harald Olav Aabrekk (born 22 February 1956) is a Norwegian football coach and a former player. He played for Sogndal and Brann in the Tippeligaen, Norway's top professional football league. He has been head coach of Sogndal, Tromsø, Brann, Haugesund, Vålerenga and Aalesund, and has also served as an assistant coach for the Norway national football team.

Playing career

Aabrekk made his debut for Sogndal in 1974 in the Norwegian Second Division (the third tier of Norwegian football).{{cite web |url=http://www.sogndalfotball.no/Alaget/Spelarstall/Spelarinfo/tabid/620/person/504/mid/1437/Default.aspx |title=Harald Aabrekk – Statistikk Sogndal |publisher=Sogndal Fotball |language=no |access-date=8 May 2012 }}{{dead link|date=October 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{cite web |url=http://www.sogndalfotball.no/Klubben/Historia/5HaraldAabrekkogstartenpå90talet/tabid/489/Default.aspx |title=90-talet og Hardal Aabrekk |publisher=Sogndal Fotball |language=no |access-date=11 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120208033129/http://www.sogndalfotball.no/Klubben/Historia/5HaraldAabrekkogstartenp%C3%A590talet/tabid/489/Default.aspx |archive-date=8 February 2012 |url-status=dead }} Except for a short spell at SK Brann, where he played a match in the Tippeligaen (the top division) in 1978,{{cite web|url=http://www.brann.no/historie/spillerdatabase/spillerarkiv/harald-aabrekk/ |title=Statistics; Brann |publisher=SK Brann |language=no |access-date=3 May 2012}} he played for Sogndal throughout his career and was a major contributor to their promotion to the Norwegian First Division in 1981. He scored Sogndal's first goal in that division, against Molde in 1982. He played a total of 133 league games from 1973 to 1982, including 22 matches in the First Division in 1982.

Coaching career

Aabrekk started his coaching career in his home county, Sogn og Fjordane, at lower-league clubs Eid, Sandane, and Stryn,{{cite web |url=http://www.brann.no/nyheter/aabrekk-blir-ny-sogndal-trener/ |language=no |title=Aabrekk blir ny Sogndal-trener |publisher=SK Brann |access-date=8 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120801042447/http://www.brann.no/nyheter/aabrekk-blir-ny-sogndal-trener/ |archive-date=1 August 2012 }}{{cite web |url=http://www.sogndalfotball.no/Nyheter/Aktuelt/tabid/486/smid/1092/ArticleID/10197/reftab/360/t/Harald-Aabrekk-er-tilbake/Default.aspx |language=no |title=Harald Aabrekk er tilbake |publisher=Sogndal Fotball |date=8 September 2009 |access-date=11 May 2012 }}{{dead link|date=October 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} before becoming head coach of Sogndal. In 1990, his first season with them, Sogndal was promoted to the Tippeligaen in spite of a 5–0 loss against Bryne in their first home match. He then served as head coach of Tromsø in the Tippeligaen from 1993 to 1995.{{cite web |url=http://fotball.bt.no/incoming/article115043.ece |title=Trist redningsmann |first=Roy |last=Ellingsen |work=Bergens Tidende |language=no |date=7 August 2008 |access-date=3 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080917153008/http://fotball.bt.no/incoming/article115043.ece |archive-date=17 September 2008 }}

In 1995, during a match against Bodø/Glimt, Aabrekk tried to stall for time by acting as if he were injured after he was run down by Bodø/Glimt's physiotherapist Truls Karlsen. Although uninjured, he was taken by ambulance to the hospital.{{cite web |url=http://www.dagbladet.no/sport/2006/11/04/481856.html |language=no |title=Fotballens største skuespillere |work=Dagbladet |first=Sigve |last=Kvamme |date=4 November 2006 |access-date=11 May 2012}} In an interview with {{Lang|no|Verdens Gang}}, he excused his behavior by saying, "I felt I was lying on the ground a bit too long, and I did not dare to get up so I stayed on the ground. I lay there and was thinking, 'What's going on?' It was not planned, and it was definitely not very smart. I would rather call it a blackout." This episode, according to the Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet, was the third worst case of acting in the history of football.

Aabrekk later worked for the Football Association of Norway as a coordinator for youth development in Western Norway. He also served as Nils Johan Semb's assistant coach for the Norwegian under-21 team from 1992 to 1998, and when Semb succeeded Egil Olsen as head coach of the Norway national football team in 1998, Aabrekk became assistant coach of the national senior team. At the same time, he worked as Kjell Tennfjord's assistant in Brann, and in the summer of 1998 he became their head coach.{{cite web |url=http://www.brann.no/nyheter/aabrekk-tilbake-i-brann/ |language=no |title=Aabrekk tilbake i Brann |publisher=SK Brann |access-date=8 May 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130222190913/http://www.brann.no/nyheter/aabrekk-tilbake-i-brann/ |archive-date=22 February 2013 }} After leading Brann to the finals of the 1999 Norwegian Cup, where they lost 2–0 against Rosenborg,{{cite web |url=http://www.dagbladet.no/sport/1999/10/31/181874.html |language=no |title=Uten Aabrekk slokner Brann |work=Dagbladet |date=31 October 1999 |access-date=8 May 2012}} he received a one-year leave of absence to work full-time as assistant coach of the national team during their preparations for the UEFA Euro 2000 football championship. He resigned from his job at Brann without returning,{{cite web |url=http://www.dagbladet.no/sport/2007/11/25/519211.html |language=no |title=Aabrekk er aktuell for Brann |work=Dagbladet |first=Stian |last=Haraldsen |date=25 November 2007}} because Brann had already hired Teitur Thordarson as their head coach and offered Aabrekk a position in their youth department, a job Brann claimed it was impossible to combine with the position of assistant coach of the national team.{{cite web |url=http://www.vg.no/sport/fotball/norsk/artikkel.php?artid=3088968 |language=no |title=Aabrekk slutter i Brann |work=Verdens Gang |date=21 December 2000 |access-date=8 May 2012}}

In 2002 Aabrekk joined Sogndal as Torbjørn Glomnes's assistant coach and saved the team from relegation.{{cite web |url=http://fotball.bt.no/eliteserien/article215924.ece |language=no |title=Derfor er Aabrekk tidenes Sogndal-trener |work=Bergens Tidende |first=Mads |last=Bøyum |date=27 November 2011 |access-date=8 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111222130219/http://fotball.bt.no/eliteserien/article215924.ece |archive-date=22 December 2011 }} On 17 September 2002 Haugesund announced that Aabrekk would join them as head coach on 1 December.{{cite web |url=http://www.vg.no/sport/fotball/artikkel.php?artid=1491118 |language=no |title=Aabrekk tar over Haugesund |work=Verdens Gang |date=17 September 2002 |access-date=8 May 2012}} In a match against Start on 19 October 2003, Aabrekk told referee Bjørn Hansen that he was "bought and paid for" twice after Aabrekk was dismissed from the bench.{{cite web |url=http://www.vg.no/sport/fotball/artikkel.php?artid=81222 |language=no |title= Sa dommeren var kjøpt og betalt |work=Verdens Gang |first=Dag |last=Langholm |date=20 October 2003 |access-date=11 May 2012}} He was at Haugesund until the end of the 2005 season, when he joined Vålerenga's coaching staff along with Egil Olsen and Petter Myhre.{{cite web |url=http://www.siste.no/fotball/eliteserien/article1874056.ece |language=no |title=VIF forsterker trenerteamet |work=Avisenes Nyhetsbyrå |publisher=siste.no |date=18 December 2005 |access-date=8 May 2012}} On 27 July 2007 Myhre resigned as head coach of Vålerenga and Aabrekk was appointed head coach as caretaker.{{cite web |url=http://fotball.aftenposten.no/eliteserien/article86380.ece |language=no |title=Helt og holdent mitt valg |work=Aftenposten |first=Helle |last=Skjervold |first2=Øyvind |last2=Nordli |date=27 July 2007 |access-date=8 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307132445/http://fotball.aftenposten.no/eliteserien/article86380.ece |archive-date=7 March 2012 }} Following two wins and a draw in the next three matches, Vålerenga gave him the job until the end of the season.{{cite web |url=http://www.vg.no/sport/fotball/norsk/artikkel.php?artid=194855 |language=no |title=Aabrekk fortsetter som VIF-trener |work=Verdens Gang |date=14 August 2007 |access-date=8 May 2012}}

In 2008 Aabrekk was hired by Brann as a scout.{{cite web |url=http://www.tv2.no/sport/fotball/tippeligaen/aabrekk-blir-brannspeider-1751146.html |language=no |title=Aabrekk blir Brann-speider |work=TV 2 (Norway) |first=Sturla |last=Johannessen |access-date=8 May 2012}} Halfway through the season, the club wanted Aabrekk and the assistant coach, Espen Steffensen, to switch jobs. Steffensen did not accept this and was fired, and Aabrekk became the new assistant coach of Brann,{{cite web |url=http://www.dagbladet.no/sport/2008/08/07/542882.html |language=no |title=Mjelde-assistent sparket i Brann |work=Dagbladet |first=Sigve |last=Kvamme |date=7 August 2008 |access-date=8 May 2008}} against the wishes of head coach Mons Ivar Mjelde.{{cite web |url=http://fotball.bt.no/eliteserien/article115097.ece |language=no |title=Dette er tredd ned over hodet på meg |work=Bergens Tidende |date=8 August 2008 |access-date=8 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080922160549/http://fotball.bt.no/eliteserien/article115097.ece |archive-date=22 September 2008 }} Following Brann's bad performances and local press criticism of the lack of cooperation between Mjelde and Aabrekk,{{cite web |url=http://www.dagbladet.no/sport/2008/08/28/545015.html |language=no |title=Fortjener ikke å flytte kjegler for Aabrekk |work=Dagbladet |first=Sigve |last=Kvamme |date=28 August 2008 |access-date=8 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080914180917/http://www.dagbladet.no/sport/2008/08/28/545015.html |archive-date=14 September 2008 |url-status=dead }} Mjelde announced on 7 October 2008 that he would resign as head coach at the end of the season. At the same time, the club announced that Aabrekk would return immediately to his job as scout,{{cite web |url=http://fotball.bt.no/eliteserien/article119843.ece |title=Mjelde slutter i Brann |work=Bergens Tidende |language=no |date=7 October 2008 |access-date=8 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100624022045/http://fotball.bt.no/eliteserien/article119843.ece |archive-date=24 June 2010 }} a position he kept until the contract expired.{{cite web |url=http://fotball.bt.no/eliteserien/article149156.ece |language=no |title=Aabrekk ferdig i Brann |work=Bergens Tidende |first=Silje |last=Dyregrov |date=31 August 2008 |access-date=8 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090903121621/http://fotball.bt.no/eliteserien/article149156.ece |archive-date=3 September 2009 }}

Aabrekk was then hired as head coach of his old club, Sogndal from 1 January 2010, succeeding Karl Oskar Emberland.{{cite web |url=http://www.vg.no/sport/fotball/norsk/1-divisjon/artikkel.php?artid=573924 |language=no |title=Aabrekk ansatt som Sogndal-trener |work=Verdens Gang |date=8 September 2009 |access-date=8 May 2012}} In his first season there, the team won promotion to the Tippeligaen, and in the next they avoided relegation. Following the 2011 season, Aabrekk retired. In his last match, he was named "Best Sogndal coach ever".

Aabrekk was hired as manager for Aalesunds FK before the 2015 season, but sacked four matches into the season when his club was last in the league.{{Cite web|url = http://www.smp.no/100Sport/fotball/eliteserien/article527177.snd|title = Harald Aabrekk sparket som Aalesund-trener|date = 28 April 2015|access-date = 28 April 2015}}