EXCLUSIVE: Haaland's first coach details what makes the Norwegian elite
He started his illustrious career at Bryn. In an ordinary Norwegian town that you would hardly guess to be the birthplace of one of the best strikers of recent years.
"Erling didn't experience anything other than our club when he was growing up, but I think the way we worked really suited him," Berntsen recalls of Haaland's early days on the Livesport Daily podcast.
"For another kid, maybe it's better to be in the academy of a big club. Some people develop great in that kind of environment, but for others, it's more comfortable to be at a smaller club, even from there they can get to the top.
"Erling grew up in his natural environment, of course our club didn't have a great academy. But it was good for him because he could then develop and enjoy football.
"It was clear to us that the big clubs would eventually want him," he adds.
Before that happened, Haaland went through a local education. Nobody pushed him into anything, but he still worked hard and understood at a young age what big football was all about.
The preparation, the diet, the respect for teammates and opponents, but also the necessary extra training doses.
"He is very talented, but he also trained a lot," Berntsen confirms.
Sometimes too much, though. The love for football simply could not stop the son of the former national team player Alf-Inge's emotion.
"You have to force players like that to rest, to have some hours off and relax at all. It's normal with the best of them. They still want to have fun with football, play with the ball, train. It's a huge passion for them, which as a coach you have to put the brakes on sometimes," Berntsen explains.
There are plenty of talented footballers at a young age, but apart from their own diligence, they need the club and the training to fit. "We've been playing with offside since the beginning. That was to teach him how to move. It was supposed to be as close to normal adult football as possible," reveals one example of the Norwegian coach.
Apart from football genes, physical attributes or talent, Haaland's environment he grew up in helped him on his way to success. "We live in an area where there is clean, fresh air. In the south of Norway. No big pollution. It's an agricultural area, so we have a lot of good organic food. Fish, meat and vegetables," Berntsen says, describing the seemingly inconspicuous factors that make up the big puzzle.
From Bryne, Haaland went to Molde, where he made his mark in adult football and cemented his status as one of Europe's top talents. This was noticed in Salzburg and then in Dortmund before eventually landing him a move to Manchester.
"The whole Haaland family made a very good decision at the time. They knew exactly what they were doing, they put a lot of thought into it. For example, they were very interested in what the training facilities were like at each club.
"They were looking for where Erling would have enough playing time and where the conditions were good."
Friis: Haaland? We have a plan
In the Austrian, German and English leagues, he has been putting in performances that regularly attack the average of one goal per game.
"He has always scored goals, in every age group. It was clear that this would continue," Berntsen believes.
So how will Sparta deal with him on Wednesday? "Try to stop him, what more can I advise," he smiles.
"But I think the Sparta players are good enough to know that. I won't give advice, I'm sure Sparta have good coaches who have a plan.
"Anyway, one thing that needs to be done is to stop others from passing to him. Once he has the ball, it's difficult to stop him, so the best idea is not to give the ball to him at all," concludes Haaland's first coach.
