Runar Berg

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Runar Berg

| image = Runar Berg.jpg

| upright = 0.7

| fullname =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1970|10|7|df=y}}

| birth_place = The Hague, Netherlands

| height = 1.79 m

| position = Midfielder

| currentclub =

| youthyears1 = 1989

| youthclubs1 = Bodø/Glimt

| years1 = 1989

| clubs1 = Bodø/Glimt

| caps1 =

| goals1 =

| years2 = 1990

| clubs2 = Rosenborg

| caps2 = 10

| goals2 = 0

| years3 = 1991

| clubs3 = Tromsø

| caps3 = 18

| goals3 = 2

| years4 = 1992–1996

| clubs4 = Bodø/Glimt

| caps4 = 111

| goals4 = 29

| years5 = 1997–1999

| clubs5 = Rosenborg

| caps5 = 69

| goals5 = 13

| years6 = 1999–2001

| clubs6 = Venezia

| caps6 = 30

| goals6 = 2

| years7 = 2001

| clubs7 = → Lyn (loan)

| caps7 = 23

| goals7 = 3

| years8 = 2002–2010

| clubs8 = Bodø/Glimt

| caps8 = 204

| goals8 = 41

| nationalyears1 = 1986

| nationalteam1 = Norway U15

| nationalcaps1 = 9

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalyears2 = 1987

| nationalteam2 = Norway U16

| nationalcaps2 = 6

| nationalgoals2 = 0

| nationalyears3 = 1988

| nationalteam3 = Norway U18

| nationalcaps3 = 1

| nationalgoals3 = 0

| nationalyears4 = 1994–2003

| nationalteam4 = Norway

| nationalcaps4 = 5

| nationalgoals4 = 0

}}

Runar Berg (born 7 October 1970) is a Norwegian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He played for Bodø/Glimt, Rosenborg, Tromsø, Lyn, and Venezia. Berg is brother of former Bodø/Glimt and Rosenborg player Ørjan Berg, and son of former Bodø/Glimt midfielder and playmaker Harald Berg.

Personal life

Berg was born in The Hague, Netherlands, when his father Harald Berg played for ADO Den Haag. He is the brother of footballers Ørjan Berg and Arild Berg,{{cite news |url=http://fotball.aftenbladet.no/eliteserien/article89879.ece |language=Norwegian |title=Her er fotballfedrene |publisher=Stavanger Aftenblad |first=Eivind |last=Aarre |date=13 September 2007 |access-date=29 April 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130223040151/http://fotball.aftenbladet.no/eliteserien/article89879.ece |archive-date=23 February 2013}} as well as musician Terje Berg. Berg is also the nephew of Norwegian folk-singer Terje Nilsen.{{citation needed|date=July 2013}}

Club career

At the start of his adult football life, Runar Berg played – as his father – at Bodø/Glimt, then playing in the 1st division. The 1988 season Bodø/Glimt got relegated to the 2nd division. Runar Berg was bought by Nils Arne Eggen to Rosenborg to play with his brother Ørjan in the 1989 season.

In 1992, Berg returned to his mother club Bodø/Glimt then again playing in the 1st division. Bodø/Glimt won the first division and gained promotion for the Norwegian top division. In 1997, Berg returned to Rosenborg. In 1999, Berg made a move to Venezia, playing in the Serie A. The club had financial problems, however, and was relegated. Berg moved back to Norway on loan to Lyn, before returning "home" to Bodø/Glimt in 2001. He announced his retirement in September 2010.{{cite news|url=http://www.tv2sporten.no/fotball/adeccoligaen/17aarig-glimttalent-fikk-runar-berg-til-aa-legge-opp-paa-dagen-3294067.html|title=Runar Berg legger opp|agency=Norwegian News Agency|date=20 September 2010|language=Norwegian|access-date=20 September 2010}}

Berg is considered a club legend at Bodø/Glimt. In the 2009 season, when the club had financial problems, Berg played for free. Being the best paid player at the club, Berg did not only give up his ~100,000 euro/year salary, but also started a fund-raiser among local businesses to help save the club.{{cite news |url=http://www.an.no/glimt/article4079586.ece |language=Norwegian |title=Runar spiller gratis for Glimt |publisher=Avisa Nordland |date=27 January 2009 |access-date=5 July 2013}}{{cite news |url=http://www.nordicfootball.info/2009/02/02/the-curious-case-of-runar-berg/#more-301 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130430123427/http://www.nordicfootball.info/2009/02/02/the-curious-case-of-runar-berg/%23more-301 |url-status=dead |archive-date=30 April 2013 |title=The Curious Case of Runar Berg |publisher=Nordic Football News |date=2 February 2009 |access-date=8 July 2013 }} Berg has also earlier donated money to the club, as well as other sport clubs in the area.{{cite news |url=http://www.dagbladet.no/sport/2006/09/26/477888.html |language=Norwegian |title=Berg gir bort 100 000 kroner av lønna |publisher=Dagbladet |date=26 September 2006 |access-date=5 July 2013}}

In 2012, Berg made a comeback for local amateur side Junkeren.{{cite news |url=http://www.an.no/sport/article5969688.ece |language=Norwegian |title=Gjør comeback |publisher=Avisa Nordland |date=13 March 2012 |access-date=9 July 2013}}

International career

Berg made his debut for Norway in a January 1994 friendly match against the United States, coming on as a late substitute for Kjetil Rekdal and earned 5 caps, scoring no goals.[https://web.archive.org/web/20091027121446/http://geocities.com/thomsof/landslaget/landslaget.html Norway – International Players] – Landslaget

His final international match was a November 2003 European Championship qualifying match against Spain, again coming on as a late substitute, for Martin Andresen.

Career statistics

rowspan="2"\|Season !rowspan="2"\|Club !colspan="3"\|League !colspan="2"\|Cup !colspan="2"\|Total
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" \|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Rosenborg \|1990 \|Tippeligaen \|10	0	0	0	10	0
Tromsø \|1991 \|Tippeligaen \|18	2	0	0	18	2
rowspan="5"\|Bodø/Glimt \|1992 \|Adeccoligaen \|0	0	0	0	0	0
1993 \|rowspan="4"\|Tippeligaen \|22	11	0	0	22	11
1994 \|21	5	0	0	21	5
1995 \|24	2	0	0	24	2
1996 \|24	5	0	0	24	5
rowspan="3"\|Rosenborg \|1997 \|rowspan="3"\|Tippeligaen \|25	6	0	0	25	6
1998 \|26	4	3	2	27	4
1999 \|18	3	4	0	22	3
rowspan="2"\|Venezia \|1999–2000 \|Serie A \|28	2	0	0	28	2
2000–01 \|Serie B \|2	0	0	0	2	0
Lyn \|2001 \|Tippeligaen \|23	3	2	0	25	3
rowspan="9"\|Bodø/Glimt \|2002 \|rowspan="4"\|Tippeligaen \|23	5	2	1	25	6
2003 \|21	8	5	3	26	11
2004 \|20	4	4	4	24	8
2005 \|22	6	4	1	26	7
2006 \|rowspan="2"\|Adeccoligaen \|22	8	2	0	24	8
2007 \|29	4	2	0	31	4
2008 \|rowspan="2"\|Tippeligaen \|25	1	2	0	27	1
2009 \|24	0	3	0	27	0
2010 \|Adeccoligaen \|18	5	0	0	18	5
colspan="3"\|Career total !445	84	33	11	478	95