Football Season Guide

Kristiansund completed a return to the Eliteserien after just a year-long absence in the most dramatic of ways back in late November, somehow defeating Vålerenga 2:0 in Oslo in the away game of their two-legged play-off final, and pushing it to penalties, where they managed to prevail. It was the stuff dreams are made of for the Blues from KBK as their season looked done and dusted back in the summer when long-serving manager Christian Michelsen was dismissed and an interim was appointed until the end of the season in Amund Skiri, taking his first job as a first-team manager. However, he masterminded a superb run of seven wins in the final nine games and a fourth-place finish, before defeating three teams in the play-offs. Kristiansund have had time to come off that massive high at the end of 2023 and now look ready to establish themselves as one of the more solid and astute sides in the Eliteserien in the coming moths. That said, out of the three newcomers, they have seen the most turnaround in their squad as up to four important regulars have gone over on to new clubs. Losing 17-goal striker Benjamin Stokke is certainly the biggest loss for Skliri but in the club moved in to sign an experienced striker who knows this league in Pape Gueye and he should certainly be a pretty useful addition. The other additions are more wild cards who are not expected to be starters right away but there is still plenty of decent quality and experience in this squad and Kristiansund should be able to escape the drop without too much struggle.