Career
He is currently employed as the Director of Viking FK, where he has served as both player and manager in the past Bjarne Berntsen began his football career in local club Figgjo Illinois, and went to Norwegian Premier League club Viking in 1977. After retiring as a player Berntsen coached Figgjo, Bryne and Viking, as well as being an assistant coach for the men"s national team between 1986 and 1987.
Between 1999 and 2004 Berntsen was the Chief Executive Officer for Viking Fotball American Statistical Association. In late 2004 he, quite surprisingly, was offered the job as head coach for the Norway women"s national football team, and he took over on 1 January 2005.
Berntsen"s first tournament with the national women"s team was the 2005 Union of European Football Associations Women"s Championship which took place in June 2005 in England. In the final against Germany Norway lost 3–1.
In the semifinal the team lost to Germany by 3–0, and they then lost the third-place playoff 4–1 against the United States of America to finish in fourth place. By virtue of their performance at the World Cup, Norway qualified for the 2008 Olympics.
After the Union of European Football Associations Women"s Euro 2009, Berntsen resigned as coach of the women"s national team
On 11 February 2010, Viking announced that Berntsen again was hired as the Chief Executive Officer of the club, four and a half year after he got fired from the same posisition. Two years later, Berntsen was nominated as vice president of Football Association of Norway which means that he has to quit his position in Viking if he gets elected. Apart from Norway and Viking, Berntsen is a keen supporter of England and Liverpool.