Harald Aabrekk

Harald Aabrekk
Born	(1956-02-22) February 22, 1956 Stad, Norway
Occupation(s)	Footballer, coach
Years active	1973–2015 (player and coach)
Known for	Norwegian football player and coach; assistant coach of Norway national football team (1998–2003)

Harald Olav Aabrekk (born 22 February 1956) is a former Norwegian footballer turned coach. During his playing days, he represented Sogndal and Brann in Norway’s premier league, the Tippeligaen. His managerial career includes leading teams such as Sogndal, Tromsø, Brann, Haugesund, Vålerenga, and Aalesund, along with serving as an assistant coach for the Norway national football team.

Playing career

Aabrekk made his debut for Sogndal in 1974, competing in the Norwegian Second Division—the third level of Norwegian football. Apart from a short stint at SK Brann, where he appeared once in the top tier during 1978, he spent the majority of his playing career with Sogndal. He played a key role in their ascent to the Norwegian First Division in 1981 and was the scorer of Sogndal’s inaugural goal at that level against Molde in 1982. Over his career from 1973 to 1982, he accumulated 133 league appearances, including 22 matches in the 1982 First Division season.

Coaching career

Beginning his coaching journey in Sogn og Fjordane, Aabrekk managed lower-division teams Eid, Sandane, and Stryn before taking charge of Sogndal. In his debut season as head coach in 1990, he guided Sogndal to promotion to the Tippeligaen despite an initial 5–0 defeat at home. Subsequently, he led Tromsø in the Tippeligaen between 1993 and 1995.

In a notable incident during a 1995 match against Bodø/Glimt, Aabrekk pretended to be injured after colliding with an opposing team’s physiotherapist. Although unharmed, he was taken to hospital by ambulance. He later characterized this episode as an involuntary "blackout." The event was highlighted by Dagbladet as one of the most infamous instances of simulation in football.

Aabrekk served as youth development coordinator for Western Norway under the Football Association of Norway and was assistant coach for Norway’s under-21 squad from 1992 to 1998. When Nils Johan Semb assumed leadership of the senior national team in 1998, Aabrekk was appointed his assistant. During this period, he also assisted Kjell Tennfjord at Brann and took over as head coach there mid-1998. After steering Brann to the 1999 Norwegian Cup final—where they lost 2–0 to Rosenborg—he took a year-long break to concentrate on preparing the national team for UEFA Euro 2000. He resigned from Brann following their decision to hire Teitur Thordarson and offer him a youth development role incompatible with his national team responsibilities.

In 2002, Aabrekk returned to Sogndal as assistant coach and contributed to their successful fight against relegation. Later that year, he accepted the head coaching position at Haugesund. During a 2003 fixture versus Start, after being sent off from the technical area, he accused the referee of corruption. He stayed with Haugesund until 2005 before joining Vålerenga’s coaching team alongside Egil Olsen and Petter Myhre. Following Myhre’s resignation in July 2007, Aabrekk was appointed interim head coach and achieved two wins and one draw over three matches, securing the role for the remainder of the season.

In 2008, Brann recruited Aabrekk as a scout. Midway through the season, an internal reshuffle led to his promotion to assistant coach after Espen Steffensen’s dismissal. This appointment occurred despite opposition from head coach Mons Ivar Mjelde, and amid disappointing results coupled with media scrutiny regarding their working relationship, Mjelde announced his intention to resign at season’s end. Subsequently, Aabrekk was reassigned back to scouting duties, which he fulfilled until his contract concluded.

Starting January 2010, Aabrekk resumed leadership at Sogndal following Karl Oskar Emberland’s departure. In his initial campaign back, he secured promotion to Tippeligaen and successfully maintained their top-flight status the following year. Upon retiring after the 2011 season, he was honored as "Best Sogndal coach ever" during his farewell match.

Ahead of the 2015 season, Aabrekk was appointed manager of Aalesunds FK but was dismissed after just four games while the club occupied last place in the league standings.

External links

|- | colspan="3" style="text-align:center;"| Assistant Coach of the Norway national football team |- | style="width:30%; text-align:center;"| Predecessor:
Nils Johan Semb | style="width:40%; text-align:center;"| Term:
1998–2003 | style="width:30%; text-align:center;"| Successor:
Stig Inge Bjørnebye