Brann: Bergen’s football passion, with a Brazilian connection
A club founded in 1908, passionate stands and a remarkable player called Kniksen.
Brann’s name is everywhere in Bergen: red shirts in the streets, conversations about the next match and the stadium at Kniksens plass. The club was founded on 26 September 1908 as Ski- og Fotboldklubben Brann. Its following spans generations, and the club’s women’s football has become part of its recent story too.
The square’s name honours Roald “Kniksen” Jensen. Brann’s own historical collection describes him as its greatest player: an exceptionally skilled footballer associated with the national titles of the early 1960s. It is hard to discuss the club’s identity without mentioning him.
There is also a small Brazilian connection: Juninho Cabral and Diego Henrique Pachega de Souza joined on loan from Desportivo Brasil in 2010. Their first-team stays were brief, but both appear in the official foreign players archive. For visitors from Brazil, it is a delightful detail to discover before entering the stadium.