The landscape of Norwegian football has changed. Gone are the days when Rosenborg, the biggest and most successful club in the country, would simply romp to the league title year after year.
It is now six years since Rosenborg last won the Eliteserien, which marks their longest barren run since the 1980s.
Instead, new forces have emerged. Bodo/Glimt are now firmly established as the best team in Norway, having won the league three times in the past four years.
Not only that, Bodo’s impressive performances in Europe have helped Norway overtake Scotland in the co-efficient standings these past few years.
As things stand, Norway sit 12th in the current UEFA standings, while Scotland have fallen to 17th. That will be reflected in future places awarded in UEFA competitions.
With the dust having settled on the Josh Kerr-Jakob Ingebrigtsen battle at the Paris Olympics, another double header between Scotland and Norway has been framed quite nicely in the Conference League qualifiers.
Scotland got the better of Norway in the 1500m final as Kerr finished ahead of Ingebrigtsen
Rosenborg had been the pre-eminent team in Norway but have recently gone off the boil
Bodo/Glimt have become the dominant force in Norway and got the better of Celtic in 2022
Kilmarnock will host Tromso at Rugby Park tonight, while St Mirren will entertain SK Brann in Paisley. Both ties carry plenty of significance in the wider context of Scottish football.
Two nations of similar size and stature, each with a population of around 5.4million, there is much that unites Scotland and Norway. Both countries always feature heavily in discussions any time the idea of a breakaway Atlantic League is mooted.
While the current UEFA format is far from perfect, the finances on offer to clubs like Killie, St Mirren, Tromso and Brann are transformative.
Should they go on and reach the group stage of the Conference League, the clubs would be guaranteed a minimum of £2.5million in prize money.
Each win in the group stage would be worth a further £420,000. That is serious cash for provincial clubs, not to mention a boost for the co-efficient.
Which is why these games matter so much. Going up against teams of similar stature, and from a direct rival in the co-efficient standings, it’s imperative that our clubs do well.
Killie start as slight favourites against a Tromso side currently fourth from bottom in the Norwegian league, after finishing third last time around.
McInnes believes there are big similarities between the Scottish and Norwegian leagues
After his team lost 2-1 on aggregate to Belgians Cercle Brugge in the Europa League qualifiers, Derek McInnes wants to see his team be brave and get on the front foot. Quite simply, it’s a case of who dares wins.
‘It’s important that the players recognise they deserve to be in this tournament,’ said the Killie boss.
‘We’re now in the Conference League, we need to try and make sure we’re good enough to hang about it.
‘The draw for the winner of this tie [a play-off against either FC Copenhagen of Denmark or Czechs Banik Ostrava] is fantastic in terms of exposure and opportunity.
‘The players have worked extremely hard to get this type of evening. We are up against a team with similar aspirations to get through the tie.
‘We believe we can get through it and I’m sure Tromso will be the same. It’s important we try and deliver a big performance, a performance we know we are capable of. I would be disappointed if we didn’t go to Norway next week with a lead.’
Kilmarnock stars train at Rugby Park ahead of the home leg of their tie with Tromso
Tromso are back in Europe for the first time in 10 years. The year prior to that, in 2013, they made it to the group stage of the Europa League in a section which featured Tottenham.
But they look like relegation candidates this season. Currently 18 games into their domestic season, they sit just two points off the bottom of the table.
It’s a tie many people will expect Killie to win, starting with a positive result at home in Ayrshire tonight.
Asked how he feels the standard of Scottish football stacks up against Norwegian clubs, McInnes said: ‘I think there’s a lot of similar-sized clubs, a lot of similarities.
‘Obviously, Rosenborg are a huge club over there, Bodo/Glimt have done really well in recent times. But it’s difficult [to gauge the level].
‘The Norwegian league is quite technical, like a lot of the Scandinavian leagues, it’s a lot of well-coached teams.
‘It has the physicality part of it, good strength and fitness. But I still don’t think it’s got the same intensity as our league.
St Mirren boss Stephen Robinson has lost captain Mark Kerr for the tie against SK Brann
‘There’s certainly a lot of quality players and we’ve seen how Norwegian players have transferred comfortably and with ease into the British leagues over the years.’
Killie midfielder Brad Lyons stressed the importance of getting on the front foot and showing more belief than in their previous tie against Cercle Brugge.
The Ayrshire side needed a last-gasp equaliser to salvage a 1-1 draw with the Belgians but went on to lose the away leg 1-0.
Lyons urged the team to give themselves a better platform ahead of next week’s return in Norway.
‘We need to back ourselves more,’ said the Northern Irishman. ‘The first time was very close and one weak mistake cost us the tie.
‘We are ready physically and mentally. We are feeling really good and sharp and the boys that aren’t even playing are looking sharp in training.
‘We are in a good place but we just need to to put it together on the pitch.’