Jostein Flo

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Jostein Flo
Personal information
Full name Jostein Flo[1]
Date of birth (1964-10-03) 3 October 1964 (age 59)
Place of birth Flo, Stryn, Norway
Height 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)
Position(s) Striker
Youth career
Stryn
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1987–1990 Molde 72 (26)
1990–1991 Lierse 25 (7)
1991–1993 Sogndal 48 (28)
1993–1996 Sheffield United 84 (19)
1996–2002 Strømsgodset 161 (110)
Total 390 (190)
International career
1987–2000 Norway 53 (11)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Jostein Flo (born 3 October 1964) is a Norwegian former footballer who played as a forward. Usually a centre-forward or striker, he was known for his physical playing style and aerial dominance, and was also capable of playing on the right flank. He was most recently Director of Football in Strømsgodset.

Career[edit]

At club level, Flo usually played as a centre-forward. For the Norway national team, he also acted as a target man, but instead played right winger, and was instrumental for the tactics applied by former Norway coach Egil Olsen. Playing a characteristic 4–5–1 formation, the left back would often hit long crosses to Flo, who in turn would head the ball to either one of the central midfielders or to the striker. This was known as the Flo Pass.[2]

He played for Stryn, Sogndal, Molde F.K., Lierse S.K., Sheffield United F.C., and Strømsgodset I.F. He was capped 53 times, and scored 11 goals for the Norway national team and was part of his country's squads at the 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cups. Perhaps his most famous appearance for the national side was the World Cup match against Brazil on 23 June 1998, when he came on as a late substitute and contributed heavily to turning a 0–1 deficit to a last-gasp 2–1 upset of the reigning World Cup champions.

Flo retired after the 2002 season, having scored 120 goals in 184 games for Strømsgodset. After his playing career, he worked with marketing for the club before he filled the role of executive director from October 2004 to January 2006. He later became the director of football of Strømsgodset.

Personal life[edit]

Flo is from a family of footballers; he is the younger brother of Kjell Rune Flo, who also played for Molde, and the older brother of Tore André Flo. who played for Chelsea and Rangers, and Jarle Flo who played for Norwegian Sogndal.[3] Håvard Flo (who played for Sogndal, AGF, SV Werder Bremen, and Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.) is his cousin.[4] In addition, Ulrik Flo is his nephew.[3]

Jostein Flo was a decent high jumper in his younger days, and has a personal best jump of 2.06 metres from 1983 (2.08 m indoor from 1987).[5]

Career statistics[edit]

Club[edit]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Season Club Division League National Cup League Cup Europe Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Molde 1987 Norwegian First Division 19 2 19 2
1988 22 10 22 10
1989 21 12 21 12
1990 Tippeligaen 10 2 10 2
Total 72 26 0 0 0 0 72 26
Lierse 1990–91 Belgian First Division 25 7 25 7
Sogndal 1991 Tippeligaen 10 7 10 7
1992 22 9 3 3 25 12
Total 32 16 3 3 0 0 0 0 35 19
Sheffield United 1993–94 Premier League 33 9 1 0 1 0 35 9
1994–95 Football League First Division 32 6 1 0 2 2 35 8
1995–96 19 4 0 0 19 4
Total 84 19 2 0 3 2 0 0 89 21
Strømsgodset 1996 Tippeligaen 18 6 18 6
1997 21 14 21 14
1998 19 19 19 19
1999 25 19 2 1 27 20
2000 Norwegian First Division 26 25 1 0 27 25
2001 Tippeligaen 26 15 3 0 29 15
2002 Norwegian First Division 26 12 3 2 29 14
Total 161 110 9 3 0 0 0 0 170 113
Career total 374 178 14 6 3 2 0 0 391 186

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Jostein Flo" (in Norwegian). Football Association of Norway. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  2. ^ Bryant, Tom; Murray, Scott; Henry, Tom (31 October 2007). "The footballers who have moves named after them". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  3. ^ a b Tomasgård, Jørn-Arne (10 June 2011). "Flo-bølgja som ikkje stoppar" (in Norwegian). Bergens Tidende. Archived from the original on 13 June 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
  4. ^ Sogn og Fjordane county encyclopedia - NRK (in Norwegian)
  5. ^ Norwegian all-time list high jump Archived 7 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine (in Norwegian)