Timeline of the Vipers debacle: sporting success and financial trouble

Timeline of the Vipers debacle: sporting success and financial trouble

* 2017: Vipers secure their first NM gold when they beat Stabæk 30-17 in the final.

* 2017/18 season: Vipers take their first league title with a one-point margin down to Larvik, who had won the series the previous 17 seasons.

* 2020/21 season: Vipers lift the Champions League trophy for the first time with 34-28 over French Brest in the final.

* 2022/23 season: Vipers claim their third straight Champions League title after a 28-24 win over Ferencvaros in the final.

* 28 March 2023: Vipers have to cut the number of players after a million deficit.

* January 15, 2024: The players call businesses to raise money to save the club.

* 16 January 2024: Vipers state that they must raise around NOK six million to save the club.

* January 22, 2024: Vipers lay off 20 percent of management to save money.

* 5 February 2024: Katrine Lunde and the rest of the star gallery accept a cut in their own salary to help the club.

* 16 February 2024: Vipers put the last pieces in place that will enable the club to avoid bankruptcy.

* 27 February 2024: The Cultiva foundation supports Vipers with NOK five million for talent investment.

* 8 July 2024: Vipers must sell Anna Vjakhireva to Brest for NOK 1.9 million. According to Fædrelandsvennen, Vipers saved around NOK four million on the sale of Vjakhireva.

* 15 July 2024: Vipers again run into financial problems and state that they need NOK 3.5 million by the end of the year.

* August 2024: Chairman Peter Gitmark states that the club must start a new rescue operation where they need five million kroner to ensure continued operations.

* 31 August 2024: Vipers suffer their first loss in 125 games against Norwegian teams when Storhamar wins 29-28.

* 15 October 2024: Chairman Gitmark states that the club needs NOK 25 million by Friday to avoid the club going bankrupt.

* 16 October 2024: Gitmark announces that the club is in talks with six groupings, three Norwegian and three international.

* 17 October 2024: The Vipers chairman says that they have said no to a possible investor from the Middle East, while they also turned down one of the Norwegian players.

* 20 October 2024: The club sees no other way out than to go bankrupt. A majority of both Vipers’ boards believe that it is not justifiable to continue operating.

* 21 October 2024: A group of shareholders, led by Morten Jørgensen, wants to take over the club and continue operations. On the same day, it becomes clear that the joint-stock company Vipers Tophåndball will tender, but the handball investment in Våg HK remains.

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