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Arild Berg

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Arild Berg
Personal information
Date of birth (1975-07-17)17 July 1975
Place of birth Bodø, Norway
Date of death 22 June 2019(2019-06-22) (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 football midfielder.

Career

He was a son of Harald Berg and younger brother of Ørjan and Runar Berg.[1] Making his Bodø/Glimt league debut in 1993,[2] he 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, Arild Berg 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 doings more freely.[4] Ahead of the 1997 season he rejected an offer from Rosenborg BK and signed for lowly FK Gevir Bodø.[5]

In 1998, 1999 and 2000, Arild Berg enjoyed a second spell with Bodø/Glimt. Amassing 110 league games,[2] he fell ill and chose to leave Bodø/Glimt. A complicated process ended in a 2002 transfer to Lyn, though he was not able to train much.[6] Lyn sponsor Atle Brynestad paid for various treatment. Mercury poisoning was believed to be Berg's diagnosis,[7][8] with chronic fatigue syndrome later being stated as the cause.[9] Berg stayed in Lyn for the remainder of his contract, throughout the 2004 season, without ever playing a game and barely training.[10] 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 died by suicide.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b Strøm, Ole Kristian (22 June 2019). "Arild Berg er død". VG (in Norwegian). Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  2. ^ a b Arild Berg at the Norwegian Football Federation (in Norwegian)
  3. ^ "Fotball: Eliteseriens spillerstaller" (in Norwegian). Norwegian News Agency. 7 April 1994.
  4. ^ Svegaarden, Knut Espen (17 January 1996). "Supertalentet Arild Berg (20) slutter". VG (in Norwegian). pp. 32–33.
  5. ^ "Arild Berg valgte Gevir" (in Norwegian). Norwegian News Agency. 3 December 1996.
  6. ^ Grønvold, Tom (22 January 2002). "Arild Berg går fra Glimt til Lyn". Dagbladet (in Norwegian). p. 32.
  7. ^ Berntsen, Per Angell (11 April 2002). "Syk Berg får hjelp av Lyns rike onkel". Dagbladet (in Norwegian). p. 26.
  8. ^ Grønvold, Tom (14 March 2003). "Blir ikke trodd". Dagbladet (in Norwegian). p. 22.
  9. ^ Jensen, Geir Are (13 December 2004). "Jeg vant over ME etter 12 år". VG (in Norwegian). pp. 10–11.
  10. ^ "Arild Berg tviler på comeback" (in Norwegian). Norwegian News Agency. 15 August 2004.