Arild Berg
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 17 July 1975 | ||
| Place of birth | Bodø, Norway | ||
| Date of death | 22 June 2019 (aged 43) | ||
| Place of death | Bodø, Norway | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –1993 | Bodø/Glimt | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1993–1995 | Bodø/Glimt | 44 | (7) |
| 1997 | Gevir Bodø | ||
| 1998–2000 | Bodø/Glimt | 66 | (16) |
| 2002–2004 | Lyn | 0 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Arild Berg (17 July 1975 – 22 June 2019) was a Norwegian footballer who played as a midfielder.
Career
[edit]A member of a noted footballing family, he was a son of Harald Berg and younger brother of Ørjan and Runar Berg, all Norway internationals who played in foreign leagues.[1] Making his Bodø/Glimt league debut in 1993,[2] Arild Berg was officially drafted into the first team in 1994;[3] regarded as one of Norway's greatest talents and perhaps more so than his older brothers,[4] he chose to never represent Norway as a youth or under-21 international. After the 1995 season he retired, citing a desire to structure his everyday activities more freely.[5] Ahead of the 1997 season he rejected an offer from Rosenborg BK and signed for lowly FK Gevir Bodø.[6][4]
In 1998, 1999 and 2000, Berg enjoyed a second spell with Bodø/Glimt. Amassing 110 league games,[2] he fell ill and chose to leave Bodø/Glimt.[4] A complicated process ended in a 2002 transfer to Lyn, though he was not able to train much.[7] Lyn sponsor Atle Brynestad paid for various treatments. Mercury poisoning was believed to be Berg's diagnosis,[8][9] with chronic fatigue syndrome later being stated as the cause.[10][4] Berg stayed with Lyn for the remainder of his contract, throughout the 2004 season, without ever playing a game and barely training.[11] Due to his condition he was advised to cut all ties with football, and he later stated that even watching matches on television would cause him great stress.[4] On 22 June 2019, Berg died at the age of 43. According to a statement from his family, "Arild chose to leave us", indicating that he committed suicide.[1][4]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Strøm, Ole Kristian (22 June 2019). "Arild Berg er død". VG (in Norwegian). Retrieved 22 June 2019.
- ^ a b Arild Berg at the Norwegian Football Federation (in Norwegian)
- ^ "Fotball: Eliteseriens spillerstaller" (in Norwegian). Norwegian News Agency. 7 April 1994.
- ^ a b c d e f The rise and tragic fall of Arild Berg, Norway’s lost footballing soul, Michael Yokhin, The Guardian, 27 July 2019
- ^ Svegaarden, Knut Espen (17 January 1996). "Supertalentet Arild Berg (20) slutter". VG (in Norwegian). pp. 32–33.
- ^ "Arild Berg valgte Gevir" (in Norwegian). Norwegian News Agency. 3 December 1996.
- ^ Grønvold, Tom (22 January 2002). "Arild Berg går fra Glimt til Lyn". Dagbladet (in Norwegian). p. 32.
- ^ Berntsen, Per Angell (11 April 2002). "Syk Berg får hjelp av Lyns rike onkel". Dagbladet (in Norwegian). p. 26.
- ^ Grønvold, Tom (14 March 2003). "Blir ikke trodd". Dagbladet (in Norwegian). p. 22.
- ^ Jensen, Geir Are (13 December 2004). "Jeg vant over ME etter 12 år". VG (in Norwegian). pp. 10–11.
- ^ "Arild Berg tviler på comeback" (in Norwegian). Norwegian News Agency. 15 August 2004.
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