Many remembers the farce that was the result from the transfer talks Rosenborg and Bengt Sæternes had spring and summer 2002, but in my eyes RBK and not the player caused the turmoil. Therefore I wish the player from Egersund, Norway warmly welcome to Lerkendal!

This writes Thomas Myren, editor of rbkweb.com.

Monday it became known that the agent of Bengt Sæternes has contacted RBK and told that the previous Bodø/Glimt forward would like to come to Trondheim coming summer. And so the discussions started again - here at the rbkweb.com-forum and not least at the Rosenborg supporter forum www.kjernen.com.

"Should RBK use recourses on getting 'greedy' Bengt Sæternes?", some asks.

My answer is yes.

I would like to praise the Egersunder for his open mind and free speech. He was quite explicite about wanting to go abroad, that play in a foreign league was more tempting than Trondheim. May 2002 he said no to a transfer even though Rosenborg and Bodø/Glimt agreed upon a transfer sum of EUR 1.28 million. That he felt more attracted by an Italian "big club" like Atalanta than RBK, should be his own (strange) choice.

Some days later Sæternes and Bodø/Glimt visited Lerkendal, and the goalhunter almost conquered RBK on his own with a brilliant hat trick. In other words, he displayed why the people at "The Hut" (RBK's headquarters) wanted the transfer.

But my strongest memory from the match is that Sæternes constantly was booed because he didn't want to go to RBK. We can't demand that all Norwegian players shall come crawling to Lerkendal, now, can we? (That some so-called "supporters" treated Øyvind Svenning bad in January is not good tone either, but that episode we forget for now.)

What irritates me most about that whole transfer farce was how Rosenborg and especially old coach Eggen refused to give up getting Bengt Sæternes. Two months after the last definite "no", the old man himself tried to convince the playter. But where is the point in "forcing" a player that did not want to come? Sæternes gave very clear signals that RBK was his last choice, and only a last way out if a transfer to a foreign club did not get in order. These signals should have been enough reason for Eggen to leave him alone!

Despite all this, Eggen continued "Operation Talk Into" until Sæternes signed for Club Brugge late summer. Pathetic, if you ask me.

Now, however, the situation is different. Sæternes has tried himself some years in Belgium, and seems ready for a comeback to the Norwegian Tippeliga. If he wants to come to Roseborg (to play in the club for more than a few months), I see no reason as to why RBK shouldn't say yes. Yes, sure, Sæternes has had his part of injuries, but the disciple of (former RBK-coach, now Club Brugge-coach) Trond Sollied has managed to display quality both in the Belgian league and in Champion's League with goals and other good performances. He will clearly strengthen RBK!