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{{Short description|Norwegian footballer and manager (born 1968)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{Infobox football biography
 | name                = Ståle Solbakken
 | image               = Kopengagen- (2).jpg
 | caption             = Solbakken as manager of [[F.C. Copenhagen|Copenhagen]] in 2014
 | full_name           = Ståle Solbakken<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fotball.no/fotballdata/person/profil/?fiksId=1962115 |title=Ståle Solbakken |publisher=Football Association of Norway |access-date=12 October 2019 |language=no}}</ref>
 | birth_date          = {{birth date and age|1968|2|27|df=y}}
 | birth_place         = [[Kongsvinger (town)|Kongsvinger]], Norway
 | height              = 1.90 m
 | position            = [[Midfielder]]
 | currentclub = [[Norway national football team|Norway]] (head coach)
 | youthyears1   = {{0|0000}}–1989  | youthclubs1   = [[Grue IL|Grue]]
 | years1   = 1989–1994  | caps1   = 100  | goals1   = 35  | clubs1   = [[Hamarkameratene]]
 | years2   = 1994–1997  | caps2   = 99   | goals2   = 34  | clubs2   = [[Lillestrøm SK|Lillestrøm]]
 | years3   = 1997–1998  | caps3   = 6    | goals3   = 1   | clubs3   = [[Wimbledon F.C.|Wimbledon]]
 | years4   = 1998–2000  | caps4   = 79   | goals4   = 13  | clubs4   = [[AaB Fodbold|AaB]]
 | years5   = 2000–2001  | caps5   = 14   | goals5   = 4   | clubs5   = [[F.C. Copenhagen|Copenhagen]]
 | totalcaps = 298 | totalgoals = 87
 | nationalyears1  = 1992  | nationalcaps1   = 2  | nationalgoals1   = 0  | nationalteam1   = [[Norway national under-21 football team|Norway U21]]
 | nationalyears2  = 1994–2000  | nationalcaps2   = 58  | nationalgoals2   = 9  | nationalteam2   = [[Norway national football team|Norway]]
 | manageryears1   = 2002–2005
 | managerclubs1   = [[Hamarkameratene]]
 | manageryears2   = 2006–2011
 | managerclubs2   = [[F.C. Copenhagen|Copenhagen]]
 | manageryears3   = 2011–2012
 | managerclubs3   = [[1. FC Köln]]
 | manageryears4   = 2012–2013
 | managerclubs4   = [[Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.|Wolverhampton Wanderers]]
 | manageryears5   = 2013–2020
 | managerclubs5   = [[F.C. Copenhagen|Copenhagen]]
 | manageryears6   = 2020–
 | managerclubs6   = [[Norway national football team|Norway]]
}}
'''Ståle Solbakken''' (born 27 February 1968) is a Norwegian professional [[Manager (association football)|football manager]] and former [[Association football|player]] who is the head coach of the [[Norway national football team|Norway national team]].

During his playing career, Solbakken was named [[Kniksen Award|1995 Norwegian midfielder of the year]], and he won the [[Danish Superliga]] championship with both [[AaB Fodbold|Aalborg]] and [[FC Copenhagen|Copenhagen]] (in 1999 and 2001 respectively). He played 58 matches and scored nine goals for the [[Norway national football team]] during the end of the 1990s, and represented [[Norway national football team|Norway]] at the [[1998 FIFA World Cup|1998 World Cup]] and [[UEFA Euro 2000|2000 European Championship]] tournaments. He ended his playing career in March 2001 following a [[Myocardial infarction|heart attack]].

As a manager, he was named [[Kniksen Award|2004 Norwegian Manager of the Year]], and  won eight Superliga championships with Copenhagen. Solbakken was also in charge of German club [[1. FC Köln]] during the [[2011–12 Bundesliga]] season and then managed English side [[Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.|Wolverhampton Wanderers]] in a six-month tenure. Following his second period at Copenhagen, he was appointed coach of the Norwegian national team in 2020.

==Club career==
===Early clubs===
Solbakken, a midfielder, started his career in Norway, playing for his local lower league team [[Grue IL|Grue]]. After five seasons with Grue he moved to [[HamKam]], a then-[[Adeccoligaen|second tier]] club, in 1989.{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}

He was the club's top goalscorer in the 1990 season, where he netted nine times. The following season he scored 14 goals to help the club to [[Promotion and relegation|promotion]] to the top-flight [[Tippeligaen|Norwegian Premier League]]. After narrowly avoiding relegation in his first season at the top level, Solbakken was part of the HamKam side that finished fifth in 1993 - a position they have not bettered since.{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}

===Lillestrøm===
[[File:Staale Solbakken 1996.jpg|thumb|upright|Solbakken playing for [[Lillestrøm SK|Lillestrøm]] in 1996]]

In 1994, he transferred to their Premier League rivals [[Lillestrøm SK|Lillestrøm]] where he finished as runner-up in the league during his first season. Although the club finished in fourth during the following campaign, Solbakken's performances saw him win the [[Kniksen award#1995|Kniksen award]] as the Norwegian Midfielder of the Season.{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}

He was appointed club captain by Lillestrøm and helped the side again finish runners-up in 1996 before he serving one final season in 1997 for ''the Canaries''. In total, he made 99 league appearances for the club, scoring 34 times.{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}

===Moves abroad===
In October 1997, Solbakken joined [[Premier League|English Premier League]] club [[Wimbledon F.C.|Wimbledon]] for £250,000.<ref>{{cite news |title=Football: Wimbledon sign Norwegian |first=Alan |last=Nixon |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-wimbledon-sign-norwegian-1235892.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220525/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-wimbledon-sign-norwegian-1235892.html |archive-date=25 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |work=The Independent |publisher=Independent Print Limited |date=14 October 1997 |access-date=11 May 2012}}</ref> In his six league games for Wimbledon, Solbakken scored one goal against [[West Ham United F.C.|West Ham United]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-wimbledon-hand-the-hammers-a-gift-of-three-points-1290965.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220525/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-wimbledon-hand-the-hammers-a-gift-of-three-points-1290965.html |archive-date=25 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Wimbledon hand the Hammers a gift of three points |work=[[The Independent]] |date=28 December 1997 | location=London| first=Mike| last=Rowbottom}}</ref> and was twice named "[[man of the match]]"{{Citation needed|date=November 2021}}, but he fell out with team manager [[Joe Kinnear]] and was banned from club training shortly thereafter.<ref>{{in lang|da}} John Laden Jensen, [http://www.aabsport.dk/96CF7553-3EFB-42E0-9F3E-B9DE67F765D4.W5Doc?id=2143be3a-3b21-437c-b311-dc11b397295a Solbakken, Ståle] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070312180638/http://www.aabsport.dk/96CF7553-3EFB-42E0-9F3E-B9DE67F765D4.W5Doc?id=2143be3a-3b21-437c-b311-dc11b397295a |date=12 March 2007 }}, AaBsport.dk </ref>

He was quickly sold to Danish side [[AaB Fodbold|Aalborg]] in March 1998. Solbakken became Aalborg's captain, and guided the club to the [[1998–99 Danish Superliga]] championship, as well as the final of the [[1998–99 Danish Cup]] tournament. He won Danish football's Player of the Year Award in 2000. In total, he played 79 games and scored 13 goals for AaB in the Danish Superliga.<ref>[http://www.danskfodbold.com/spiller.php?ligaid=2001&spillerid=10457 Ståle Solbakken] at DanskFodbold.com</ref>

In August 2000, he departed to Danish league rivals [[F.C. Copenhagen|Copenhagen]]. Solbakken quickly became a regular player in the side and helped push them to the top of the table but he was unable to complete the season after suffering a [[myocardial infarction|heart attack]] in March 2001. The club went on to win the [[2000–01 Danish Superliga|2001 Superliga]] championship and give Solbakken a second championship medal as a player.{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}

===Health problems===
During training on 13 March 2001, Solbakken had a [[myocardial infarction|heart attack]]. He was rapidly attended to by the club doctor, Frank Odgaard, who found that Solbakken's heart had stopped beating. Odgaard asked a player to call an ambulance and to tell them it was critical, while he continued to administer cardiac massage. Upon the ambulance's arrival, Solbakken was pronounced [[clinically dead]] at the scene.<ref name="guardian">Marcus Christenson, [https://www.theguardian.com/football/2006/nov/01/newsstory.championsleague1 Why football is not a matter of life and death for Solbakken], [[The Guardian]], 1 November 2006.</ref> On the way to the hospital in the ambulance, he was revived nearly seven minutes later.<ref>{{Cite web |last=marts 2001 |first=Tirsdag d 13 |last2=februar 2003 |first2=kl 22 45 Del denne artikel Del denne artikel Opdateret onsdag d 26 |last3=Kl. 10.28 |date=2001-03-13 |title=Solbakken ramt af hjertestop |url=https://www.berlingske.dk/content/item/1135874 |access-date=2023-11-27 |website=Berlingske.dk |language=da}}</ref>

He survived the episode and now has a [[Artificial pacemaker|pacemaker]] fitted. The heart attack was the result of a previously undetected heart defect.<ref name="guardian"/> Shortly after, on medical advice, he announced his retirement from playing.{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}

==International career==
Solbakken made his international debut for the [[Norway national football team]] on 9 March 1994, in a 3–1 friendly win in [[Wales national football team|Wales]]. Although he was not named in the squad for the [[1994 FIFA World Cup|1994 World Cup]], he became a regular feature in the squad soon after.{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}

He was a member of the Norwegian team that qualified for [[1998 FIFA World Cup|1998 World Cup]], where he appeared in two of their group games (against [[Morocco national football team|Morocco]] and [[Scotland national football team|Scotland]]) as well as their second round exit to [[Italy national football team|Italy]].{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}

His country qualified for the next major tournament, [[UEFA Euro 2000|the 2000 European Championship]], but Solbakken picked up an injury shortly before the finals. In the end, he was only able to appear in one tournament game: a goalless draw with [[Slovenia national football team|Slovenia]] that eliminated them in the group stage. After this exit, he announced his international retirement, aged 32.{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}

In total, he won 58 caps for Norway, scoring nine times.{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}

===International goals===
:''Scores and goals list Norway's goal tally first''{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! No. !! Date !! Opponent !! Score !! Result  !! Venue !! Competition
|-
| 1. || rowspan="2"| 2 June 1996 ||  rowspan="2"| {{fb|AZE}} || 1–0 || rowspan="2"| 5–0 || rowspan="2"| [[Ullevaal Stadion|Ullevaal]], [[Oslo]] ||rowspan="2"| [[1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)#Group 3|1998 World Cup qualifier]]
|-
| 2. || 3–0
|-
| 3. || 1 September 1996  || {{fb|GEO|1990}} || 1–0 || 1–0 || [[Ullevaal Stadion|Ullevaal]], [[Oslo]]|| [[Exhibition game|Friendly]]
|-
| 4. || 29 March 1997 || {{fb|UAE}} || 4–1 || 4–1 || [[Sharjah Stadium (football)|Sharjah Stadium]], [[Sharjah (city)|Sharjah]]|| Friendly
|-
| 5. || 20 August 1997 || {{fb|FIN}} || 1–0 || 4–0 || [[Helsinki Olympic Stadium|Olympic Stadium]], [[Helsinki]] || 1998 World Cup qualifier
|-
| 6. || 10 September 1997  || {{fb|SUI}} || 2–0 || 5–0 || [[Ullevaal Stadion|Ullevaal]], [[Oslo]] || 1998 World Cup qualifier
|-
| 7. || 6 September 1998 || {{fb|LAT}} || 1–1 || 1–3 || [[Ullevaal Stadion|Ullevaal]], [[Oslo]] || [[UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying Group 2|Euro 2000 qualifier]]
|-
| 8. || 22 January 1999 || {{fb|EST}} || 1–0 || 3–3 || [[HaShalom Stadium|Municipal Stadium]], [[Umm al-Fahm]] || Friendly
|-
| 9. || 29 March 2000  || {{fb|SUI}} || 1–0 || 2–2 || [[Cornaredo Stadium]], [[Lugano]]|| Friendly
|}

==Managerial career==
===Ham-Kam===
In 2002, Solbakken returned to Norway and started his managerial career at his old club HamKam, positioned at the second tier. He had great success at HamKam, as the club won the league and was promoted to the top-flight Tippeligaen. His "resurrection", and the "salvation" (i.e. promotion) of HamKam, earned him the nickname "Ståle Salvatore", often cited in Norwegian press since.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.vg.no/sport/fotball/ligaer/tyskland/artikkel.php?artid=10057368|title = Bestekompis Skogheim forbannet etter sparkingen av Solbakken: - Köln legger ikke trenerkabal, de er trenerkannibaler| date=13 April 2012 }}</ref>

The next season, Solbakken managed HamKam to a fifth place in the [[Tippeligaen 2004]] season, and he won the [[Kniksen award#2004|2004 Kniksen award]] as Norwegian Manager of the Year. In late 2005, Solbakken was named as new manager of another of his former clubs, [[F.C. Copenhagen|Copenhagen]].{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}

===Copenhagen===
In his first years at the club, Solbakken guided Copenhagen to the [[2005–06 Danish Superliga|2006]] and [[2006–07 Danish Superliga|2007]] [[Danish Superliga]] championship, as well as the [[Royal League 2005–06|2006]] [[Royal League]] trophy. He managed Copenhagen through to the group stage of the [[2006–07 UEFA Champions League]], after beating [[AFC Ajax|Ajax]] in the final qualifying round on 23 August 2006. Copenhagen finished last in its group, though they won a meriting 1–0 victory against later semi-finalists [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]].{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}

In May 2009, Solbakken led Copenhagen to [[Double (association football)|the Double]] of both the [[2008–09 Danish Cup|2009 Danish Cup]] and the [[2008–09 Danish Superliga|2009 Superliga]] championship, the seventh championship in club history. On 3 November 2009, it was announced that he would not renew his contract which ended on 30 June 2011.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://fck.dk/index.php?pageid=754&newsid=9768 |title=Ståle Solbakken bliver norsk landstræner i 2012 |date=3 November 2009 |access-date=3 November 2009 |language=da |publisher=[[F.C. Copenhagen]]}}</ref> Instead, he agreed a [[letter of intent]] to become Norway national team manager either in January 2012 or after the [[UEFA Euro 2012|Euro 2012]], should Norway qualify.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fotball.no/Landslag_og_toppfotball/Landslag/A-menn/2009/Olsen-fortsetter-og-etterfolges-av-Solbakken/ |title=Olsen fortsetter og etterfølges av Solbakken |date=3 November 2009 |access-date=3 November 2009 |language=no |publisher=[[Football Association of Norway]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120524125015/http://www.fotball.no/Landslag_og_toppfotball/Landslag/A-menn/2009/Olsen-fortsetter-og-etterfolges-av-Solbakken/ |archive-date=24 May 2012 }}</ref> However, this agreement was ultimately not to come to fruition.{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}

===1. FC Köln===
On 15 May 2011, it was announced that Solbakken would take over as manager of [[1. FC Köln]]<ref name="Solbakken neuer FC-Coach - Kreuzbandriss bei Petit">{{cite news|title=Solbakken neuer FC-Coach - Kreuzbandriss bei Petit|url=https://www.kicker.de/solbakken-neuer-fc-coach---kreuzbandriss-bei-petit-552488/artikel|access-date=21 August 2014|publisher=kicker|date=15 May 2011|language=de}}</ref> of the German [[Bundesliga]] from [[Director of football|sporting director]] [[Volker Finke]], who acted as interim manager after [[Frank Schaefer (football manager)|Frank Schaefer]] quit during the season.<ref name="Köln">{{cite web |url=http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/1956/europe/2011/05/14/2486732/koln-confirm-stale-solbakken-as-new-coach-for-next-season/ |title=Köln confirm Stale Solbakken as new manager for next season |date=14 May 2011 |publisher=goal.com}}</ref> Solbakken had been due to take the Norway national team job in January 2012, but Köln bought out his contract for a reported €400,000.<ref name="Köln" />

He won his first game in charge, a [[DFB-Pokal|DFB Cup]] tie at [[SC Wiedenbrück 2000|SC Wiedenbrück]], but took four league games to register his first victory. By the winter break Köln sat in tenth place, but their form plummeted in the second half of the campaign and they dropped into a relegation battle. This decline in form was coupled with several negative incidents involving their squad misbehaving off the field.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/football-league/solbakken-arrives-at-wolves--well-schooled-in-dealing-with-turmoil-7737892.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220525/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/football-league/solbakken-arrives-at-wolves--well-schooled-in-dealing-with-turmoil-7737892.html |archive-date=25 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Solbakken arrives at Wolves – well schooled in dealing with turmoil |date=12 May 2012 |work=[[The Independent]]}}</ref> Solbakken later quipped that "[[Jesus]] and [[José Mourinho]] would have struggled together at that club this year".<ref>{{cite news |title=Ståle Solbakken defends failure at Cologne after taking reins at Wolves |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/stale-solbakken-defends-failure-at-cologne-after-taking-reins-at-wolves-527skd0xrgm |access-date=27 August 2020 |work=[[The Times]] |date=14 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Morgan defends Solbakken appointment |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/soccer/arid-30551443.html |access-date=27 August 2020 |work=Irish Examiner |date=14 May 2012}}</ref>

Solbakken was dismissed by Köln on 12 April 2012<ref name="Köln entlässt Solbakken - Schaefer hilft aus">{{cite news|title=Köln entlässt Solbakken - Schaefer hilft aus|url=https://www.kicker.de/koeln-entlaesst-solbakken---schaefer-hilft-aus-567421/artikel|access-date=21 August 2014|publisher=kicker|date=12 April 2012|language=de}}</ref> following a 0–4 loss at [[1. FSV Mainz 05|Mainz]], with the team sat in 16th place. He was replaced by former coach [[Frank Schaefer (football manager)|Frank Schaefer]], who oversaw the final four games of the season, during which the club dropped to 17th place and were therefore relegated.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.goal.com/en-gb/match/61143/1-fc-köln-vs-fc-bayern-münchen/report |title=1. FC Köln vs FC Bayern München Report |date=5 May 2012 |publisher=goal.com}}</ref>

===Wolverhampton Wanderers===
On 11 May 2012, English club [[Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.|Wolverhampton Wanderers]] announced that Solbakken was to become their new manager. He officially took over from acting manager [[Terry Connor]] on 1 July 2012.<ref name="Wolves appoint Norwegian Stale Solbakken as new manager">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18030227 |title=Wolves appoint Norwegian Stale Solbakken as new manager |date=11 May 2012 |work=[[BBC Sport]]}}</ref> Solbakken began his Wolves tenure with the club in the [[Football League Championship]] having been relegated from the [[Premier League|English Premier League]] at the end of the 2011–12 season. His first competitive game in charge was a [[Football League Cup|League Cup]] tie against [[Aldershot Town F.C.|Aldershot Town]], which his side won on penalties.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19124054 |title=Wolves 1-1 Aldershot |date=11 August 2012 |work=[[BBC Sport]]}}</ref>

Solbakken failed to stop the club's slump that had brought relegation and despite at one time lifting the club to third place, they had slumped as low as 18th by the turn of the year. He was sacked on 5 January 2013, following an [[FA Cup]] elimination by at that time non-league [[Luton Town F.C.|Luton Town]], which was his fourth consecutive defeat.<ref name="Wolves sack manager Stale Solbakken after six months">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20870241 |title=Wolves sack manager Stale Solbakken after six months |date=5 January 2013 |work=[[BBC Sport]]}}</ref>

===Return to Copenhagen===
On 21 August 2013, Solbakken returned as head coach of [[F.C. Copenhagen|Copenhagen]], two years after his departure.<ref name="FCK fyrer Jacobs - ansætter Ståle Solbakken">{{cite web |url=http://ekstrabladet.dk/sport/fodbold/dansk_fodbold/superligaen/fc_koebenhavn/article2073373.ece|title=FCK fyrer Jacobs - ansætter Ståle Solbakken|date=21 August 2013 |publisher=Ekstrabladetek|language=da}}</ref>

Solbakken had a seven-year reign at Copenhagen in which he won three championships in 2016, 2017 and 2019. However, due to a bad start to the [[2020–21 Danish Superliga]], poor domestic results during 2020 and a failure to qualify for the [[2020–21 UEFA Europa League]] group stage, Solbakken was fired as manager on 10 October 2020.<ref name="Kæmpe bombe: FCK fyrer Ståle Solbakken">{{cite web|title=Kæmpe bombe: FCK fyrer Ståle Solbakken|language=da|date=2020-10-10|access-date=2020-10-10|publisher=bold.dk|url=https://www.bold.dk/fodbold/nyheder/kaempe-bombe-fck-fyrer-staale-solbakken/}}</ref>

For his two tenures at Copenhagen, Solbakken was awarded the title as the 'Biggest Manager in Superliga History' by a jury of 38 experts on the Danish Superliga including former Danish national coach [[Morten Olsen]] and former football player [[Rasmus Würtz]], who is accredited with most Superliga games played to date with 452 caps.<ref name="Superligaens største træner er kåret: Ståle Solbakken løber med hæderen">{{cite web|title=Superligaens største træner er kåret: Ståle Solbakken løber med hæderen|language=da|date=2022-03-08|access-date=2022-03-08|publisher=campo.dk|url=https://www.campo.dk/2022/03/06/superligaens-stoerste-traener-er-kaaret-staale-solbakken-loeber-med-haederen/}}</ref>

===Norway national team===
On 3 December 2020, Solbakken became the Norway international manager on a four-year deal, after the resignation of [[Lars Lagerbäck]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Edwards |first1=Joe |title=Former Wolves chief Stale Solbakken lands Norway job |url=https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/football/wolverhampton-wanderers-fc/2020/12/03/former-wolves-chief-stale-solbakken-lands-norway-job/ |access-date=26 January 2021 |work=Express & Star |date=3 December 2020}}</ref> In his first match the following 24 March, the side won 3–0 away to [[Gibraltar national football team|Gibraltar]] in [[2022 FIFA World Cup]] qualification.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Berg Ould-Saada |first1=Arilas |last2=Tinius Folvik |first2=Herman |last3=Baardsen |first3=Joachim |last4=Vesteng |first4=Camilla |title=Ødegaard svarer om skaden etter seier i Solbakkens debut: – litt sårt|url=https://www.vg.no/sport/fotball/i/Epvn53/oedegaard-svarer-om-skaden-etter-seier-i-solbakkens-debut-litt-saart |access-date=14 August 2021 |work=VG |date=25 March 2021 |language=Norwegian}}</ref> Norway failed to qualify, and Solbakken criticised the decision to host the tournament in Qatar due to human rights issues and the manner of the vote; the [[Norwegian Football Federation]] sent only one representative, an analyst to monitor the team's next opponents, [[Spain national football team|Spain]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Manning |first1=Gordon |title=Norway manager critical of World Cup in Qatar and won't be attending event |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/2022/11/17/norway-manager-critical-of-world-cup-in-qatar-and-wont-be-attending-event/ |access-date=22 December 2022 |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=17 November 2022}}</ref>

==Managerial statistics==
{{updated|match played 9 June 2025}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+ Managerial record by team and tenure	
|-
!rowspan="2"|Team
!rowspan="2"|From
!rowspan="2"|To
!colspan="5"|Record
!rowspan="2"|{{Tooltip|Ref.|Reference}}
|-	
!{{abbr|P|Matches played}}!!{{abbr|W|Matches won}}!!{{abbr|D|Matches drawn}}!!{{abbr|L|Matches lost}}!!{{abbr|Win %|Win percentage}}
|-
|align="left"|[[HamKam]]
|align="left"|26 November 2002
|align="left"|31 December 2005
{{WDL|82|37|21|24|decimals=1}}
|{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}
|-
|align="left"|[[F.C. Copenhagen|Copenhagen]]
|align="left"|1 January 2006<ref>{{cite web|title=Officielt: Ståle kommer - Holmstrøm stopper|url=https://www.bold.dk/fodbold/nyheder/Officielt-Staale-kommer--Holmstroem-stopper/|website=bold.dk|date=31 October 2005 |access-date=31 October 2005}}</ref>
|align="left"|15 May 2011<ref name="Solbakken neuer FC-Coach - Kreuzbandriss bei Petit"/>
{{WDL|252|153|47|52|decimals=1}}
|{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}
|-
|align="left"|[[1. FC Köln]]
|align="left"|15 May 2011<ref name="Solbakken neuer FC-Coach - Kreuzbandriss bei Petit"/>
|align="left"|12 April 2012<ref name="Köln entlässt Solbakken - Schaefer hilft aus"/>
{{WDL|32|9|5|18|decimals=1}}
|<ref>{{cite web|title=1. FC Köln|url=https://www.kicker.de/1-fc-koeln/team-trainer/bundesliga/2014-15|website=[[Kicker (magazine)|Kicker]]|publisher=kicker|access-date=21 August 2014|language=de}}</ref>
|-
|align="left"|[[Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.|Wolverhampton Wanderers]]
|align="left"|1 July 2012<ref name="Wolves appoint Norwegian Stale Solbakken as new manager"/>
|align="left"|5 January 2013<ref name="Wolves sack manager Stale Solbakken after six months"/>
{{WDL|30|10|5|15|decimals=1}}
|<ref>{{cite web|title=Stale Solbakken|url=http://www.soccerbase.com/managers/manager.sd?manager_id=2262|website=Soccerbase.com|publisher=CENTURYCOMM LIMITED|access-date=21 August 2014}}</ref>
|-
|align="left"|Copenhagen
|align="left"|21 August 2013<ref name="FCK fyrer Jacobs - ansætter Ståle Solbakken"/>
|align="left"|10 October 2020<ref name="Kæmpe bombe: FCK fyrer Ståle Solbakken"/>
{{WDL|357|203|77|77|decimals=1}}
|{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}
|-
|align="left"|[[Norway national football team|Norway]]
|align="left"|7 December 2020
|align="left"|''Present''
{{WDL|46|26|9|11|decimals=1}}
|{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}
|-
!colspan="3"|Total
{{WDLtot|799|438|164|197}}
|}

==Honours==
===Player===
'''AaB'''
*[[Danish Superliga]]: [[1998–99 Danish Superliga|1998–99]]{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}

'''Copenhagen'''
*Danish Superliga: [[2000–01 Danish Superliga|2000–01]]{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}

===Manager===
'''Copenhagen'''
*[[Royal League]]: [[Royal League 2005–06|2005–06]]{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}
*[[Danish Superliga]]: [[2005–06 Danish Superliga|2005–06]], [[2006–07 Danish Superliga|2006–07]], [[2008–09 Danish Superliga|2008–09]], [[2009–10 Danish Superliga|2009–10]], [[2010–11 Danish Superliga|2010–11]], [[2015–16 Danish Superliga|2015–16]], [[2016–17 Danish Superliga|2016–17]], [[2018–19 Danish Superliga|2018–19]]{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}
*[[Danish Cup]]: [[2008–09 Danish Cup|2008–09]], [[2014–15 Danish Cup|2014–15]], [[2015–16 Danish Cup|2015–16]], [[2016–17 Danish Cup|2016–17]]{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}

===Individual===
*[[Kniksen award#1995|1995 Kniksen award as Norwegian Midfielder of the Year]]{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}
*[[Kniksen award#2004|2004 Kniksen award as Norwegian Manager of the Year]]{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}
*[[Danish Superliga]] Manager of the Year: [[2006–07 Danish Superliga|2007]], [[2010–11 Danish Superliga|2011]]{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110928065353/http://www.fck.dk/truppen/spillerprofil/?playerid=130 FC København profile] {{in lang|da}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110928065404/http://www.fck.dk/saesonen/statistik/spillerstatistik/?search=1&play_playerid_fk=150 FC København player statistics] {{in lang|da}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070312180638/http://www.aabsport.dk/96CF7553-3EFB-42E0-9F3E-B9DE67F765D4.W5Doc?id=2143be3a-3b21-437c-b311-dc11b397295a AaB profile] {{in lang|da}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927002919/http://www.hamkam.no/presentation/spiller.asp?spiller_id=119&showall=true Ham-Kam profile] {{in lang|no}}

{{Current managers of UEFA national teams}}
{{Danish Football Manager of the Year}}
{{Navboxes
| title = Norway squads
| bg = #EF2B2D
| fg = white
| bordercolor = #203060
| list1 = 
{{Norway squad 1998 FIFA World Cup}}
{{Norway squad UEFA Euro 2000}}
}}
{{Navboxes
| title = Managerial positions
| list1 = 
{{Hamarkameratene managers}}
{{F.C. Copenhagen managers}}
{{1. FC Köln managers}}
{{Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. managers}}
{{Norway national football team managers}}
}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Solbakken, Staale}}
[[Category:1968 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Kongsvinger]]
[[Category:Footballers from Innlandet]]
[[Category:Norwegian men's footballers]]
[[Category:Men's association football midfielders]]
[[Category:Hamarkameratene players]]
[[Category:Lillestrøm SK players]]
[[Category:Wimbledon F.C. players]]
[[Category:AaB Fodbold players]]
[[Category:F.C. Copenhagen players]]
[[Category:Eliteserien players]]
[[Category:Premier League players]]
[[Category:Danish Superliga players]]
[[Category:Kniksen Award winners]]
[[Category:Norway men's international footballers]]
[[Category:1998 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:UEFA Euro 2000 players]]
[[Category:Norwegian football managers]]
[[Category:Hamarkameratene managers]]
[[Category:F.C. Copenhagen managers]]
[[Category:1. FC Köln managers]]
[[Category:Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Norway national football team managers]]
[[Category:Eliteserien managers]]
[[Category:Danish Superliga managers]]
[[Category:Bundesliga managers]]
[[Category:English Football League managers]]
[[Category:Norwegian expatriate men's footballers]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in England]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Denmark]]
[[Category:Norwegian expatriate football managers]]
[[Category:Expatriate football managers in Denmark]]
[[Category:Expatriate football managers in Germany]]
[[Category:Expatriate football managers in England]]
[[Category:Norwegian expatriate sportspeople in Denmark]]
[[Category:Norwegian expatriate sportspeople in Germany]]
[[Category:Norwegian expatriate sportspeople in England]]
[[Category:20th-century Norwegian sportsmen]]