Arild Berg

Arild Berg (17 July 1975 – 22 June 2019) was a Norwegian footballer who played as a midfielder.

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

Career

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
  1. Strøm, Ole Kristian (22 June 2019). "Arild Berg er død". VG (in Norwegian). Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  2. Arild Berg at the Norwegian Football Federation (in Norwegian)
  3. "Fotball: Eliteseriens spillerstaller" (in Norwegian). Norwegian News Agency. 7 April 1994.
  4. The rise and tragic fall of Arild Berg, Norway’s lost footballing soul, Michael Yokhin, The Guardian, 27 July 2019
  5. Svegaarden, Knut Espen (17 January 1996). "Supertalentet Arild Berg (20) slutter". VG (in Norwegian). pp. 32–33.
  6. "Arild Berg valgte Gevir" (in Norwegian). Norwegian News Agency. 3 December 1996.
  7. Grønvold, Tom (22 January 2002). "Arild Berg går fra Glimt til Lyn". Dagbladet (in Norwegian). p. 32.
  8. Berntsen, Per Angell (11 April 2002). "Syk Berg får hjelp av Lyns rike onkel". Dagbladet (in Norwegian). p. 26.
  9. Grønvold, Tom (14 March 2003). "Blir ikke trodd". Dagbladet (in Norwegian). p. 22.
  10. Jensen, Geir Are (13 December 2004). "Jeg vant over ME etter 12 år". VG (in Norwegian). pp. 10–11.
  11. "Arild Berg tviler på comeback" (in Norwegian). Norwegian News Agency. 15 August 2004.


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