Viking FK's unique dual-manager system ahead of Champions League debut

The UEFA Champions League is finally back and with that there are some stories that need to be told. Among those, there is team with two managers. Yes, you read that right. Norwegian side Viking FK have two head coaches with exactly the same role. There is no number one or number two, just two managers sharing responsibility for the team as they prepare to make their official Champions League debut against Stuttgart. But how does a soccer club end up with two managers? And, more importantly, why have Viking FK chosen this unusual approach instead of appointing just one? Here's the story you need to know.

How to watch Stuttgart vs. Viking

Date: Wednesday, September 9 | Time: 12:45 p.m. ET

Location: MHPArena -- Stuttgart, Germany

Live stream: Paramount+

Odds: Stuttgart -426; Draw +575; Viking +800

Why Viking have two managers?

Viking FK implemented the dual head-coach system ahead of the 2021 season after parting ways with their former coach Bjarne Berntsen. After that, club CEO Eirik Bjørnø started the hiring process for the new manager and ended up appointing two head coaches: Bjarte Lunde Aarsheim and Morten Jensen, who both previously worked at the club as assistant managers. Why?

The reasons behind the decision were explained by Bjørnø himself, speaking to CBS Sports Golazo: "When the former coach left us we knew we needed another coach, and we started the interview process. We brought the two assistant coaches in different interviews, and then when the interview came they just showed up together. It was their idea. We said we need to pick one of you, and they said that they were going to do it together. At the end, we said let's do it. It was fairly successful so far, there is no difference between them. They are both head coaches. It's fascinating when we have discussions: I discuss one thing with one of them, and then another thing with the other one and then we sit down all together to find a solution. I just created more work for my self, I don't recommend it to be honest", he said joking.

Under the dual head-coach system, Viking FK has achieved a very positive trajectory of results. Their debut campaign in 2021 immediately met expectations by clinching a 3rd-place finish in the Norwegian first division. This steady competitive growth peaked during a historic 2025 season, where a dramatic 5–1 final-day victory secured their first Norwegian league title in 34 years, granting them a chance to be part of the 2026-2027 Champions League league phase after winning in the playoffs earlier this summer against Dinamo Zagreb.