Svein Mathisen

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Svein Mathisen
Personal information
Full name Svein Mathisen
Date of birth September 30, 1952 (1952-09-30) (age 55)
Place of birth    Sauda, Norway
Height 180 cm
Playing position Attacking midfielder
Club information
Current club Retired
Youth clubs
I.K. Start
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
1973-1989 I.K. Start 327 (106)   
National team2
1975-1985 Norway 25 (2)

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only and
correct as of June 24 2007.
2 National team caps and goals correct
as of May 16 2006.
* Appearances (Goals)

Svein "Matta" Mathisen (born September 30, 1952) is a retired footballer from Norway. Except for a short and less successful spell with Scottish club Hibs, "Matta" played for I.K. Start throughout his career. Here he won the Norwegian league title in 1978 and 1980. Mathisen was capped 25 times for Norway, but many claim that he never reached his full potential for the national team.

Playing attacking midfielder or striker, Mathisen was a creative player popular among the fans in Kristiansand, although there was a widespread feeling that he maybe paid too little attention to defensive play. In total he played 327 top-tier league matches, and scored 106 goals. Both numbers are club records, and when he retired in 1989 he also held the national "matches played" record. It has later been beaten by Ola By Rise, Roar Strand, Erik Hoftun and Bjørn Johansen.

Today Mathisen works with match commentary in TV 2. He has also worked in NRK Radio. His son, Jesper Mathisen, is a Norwegian youth international footballer, playing for I.K. Start in Kristiansand.