Stabæk dethrone Røa in Norway

Stabæk Fotball clinched the Norwegian title with a game to spare on Saturday to earn a European debut for next season, ending the three-year reign of Røa IL as they prepare for their UEFA Women's Champions League round of 16 tie with Zvezda-2005.

A 3-0 win for unbeaten Stabæk against SK Trondheims-Ørn, coupled with Røa's 4-0 defeat at home to Kolbotn IL left the top two five points apart with one game to go. It is a reverse of last year's outcome, where Røa ended three points clear of newcomers Stabæk, formed from the remnants of the defunct Asker Fotball to make the club the first to have both men's and women's teams their respective Norwegian top divisions.

While Stabæk can now prepare for the 2011/12 UEFA Women's Champions League, where they will begin in the round of 32, Røa's only route into Europe will be to win this season's edition. To do that they must first defeat Russian side Zvezda, who they knocked out at this stage on away goals last year, with the first leg at home on Wednesday.