Viking FK Uses Dual Coaches Before Bayern Munich Clash

Viking FK, the Norwegian champion coached by Bjarte Lunde Aarsheim and Morten Jensen, faces Bayern Munich in the Champions League on October 14, 2026, in a match that highlights the club's unusual two-head-coach system and its recent rise.

According to vietnam.vn, Viking's coaching partnership began after the two coaches shared ambitions around 2012. Aarsheim, a former Viking player with nearly 300 appearances, and Jensen later joined forces when the club searched for a new coach in 2020.

The pair presented a 120-page tactical document during the 2020 selection process, according to vietnam.vn. The club's sporting director Erik Nevland said Viking decided to try the unconventional approach because it needed a different direction.

"One day, we should manage a team together," Bjarte Lunde Aarsheim and Morten Jensen said in describing their shared ambition, according to vietnam.vn.

Aarsheim and Jensen developed different roles within the coaching structure. Aarsheim focused on defensive systems and tactical sessions, while Jensen handled attacking ideas and motivation, according to the report.

"I am the calm one who finds solutions, while Morten is the one who dares to think big and express his boldest dreams," Bjarte Lunde Aarsheim, Viking FK head coach, said according to vietnam.vn.

The two coaches presented themselves together to Viking officials in 2020 instead of competing for the same position. Their presentation included an image of sheep representing opponents and two wolves representing their approach.

"We told the executives: 'Would you like to hire these two predatory wolves? We are going to devour all those sheep,'" Morten Jensen, Viking FK head coach, said according to vietnam.vn.

Erik Nevland, the Viking sporting director and former Manchester United and Fulham striker, described the appointment as a calculated risk. He said the club wanted to make a change during a significant period.

"We were at a historic moment when we needed to do something different to improve. It was something like: 'Just try it.' It made sense. It was a gamble, but we were in a position to do it," Erik Nevland, Viking FK sporting director, said according to vietnam.vn.

Nevland also said other sporting directors often recognize Viking's unusual structure when discussing the club internationally. The coaching model remained in place because the club believed it was working.

"When I talk to sporting directors from other countries, instead of saying Viking, they all say: 'Oh, you have two head coaches.' It is something special, and there is no reason to change something that works," Erik Nevland, Viking FK sporting director, said according to vietnam.vn.

The partnership helped Viking win the Norwegian national league last season, its first championship in 35 years since 1991. The title came after the club overtook Bodø/Glimt, according to the report.

"I can read Morten's mind instantly. There have never been ego problems between us," Bjarte Lunde Aarsheim, Viking FK head coach, said according to vietnam.vn.

Before the Bayern Munich match, the coaches maintained their belief in the club's identity and approach. Their philosophy has centered on confidence and player development.

"For us, Viking is Barcelona," Morten Jensen, Viking FK head coach, said according to vietnam.vn.

"We want the players to understand that, in our opinion, Viking is the best team in the world," Morten Jensen, Viking FK head coach, said according to vietnam.vn.