Editing Tromsø IL (section)

=== 2000s ===
In 2005, Tromsø would again play in the UEFA Cup, following their fourth-place finish in the Norwegian top division the year prior. Tromsø won the first qualification match against [[Esbjerg fB]] with 1–0 away after a goal by [[Lars Iver Strand]], the club's first ever win in an away match in a European cup. Esbjerg won the return leg in Tromsø 1–0, and [[penalty shootout (football)|penalties]] were needed to decide a winner. Tromsø only converted two of their five initial penalties ([[Runar Normann]] and [[Ole Andreas Nilsen]] scored), but since Esbjerg also missed three penalties, the teams had to shoot a sixth penalty. [[Stephen Ademolu]] scored while [[Lars Hirschfeld]] saved Esbjerg fB's penalty, and Tromsø advanced.

Tromsø drew [[Galatasaray S.K. (football)|Galatasaray]] in the first round of the UEFA Cup. Tromsø won 1–0 at home after a goal by [[Tamas Szekeres]] in the 77th minute, in a match filled with mud, rain and snow. Tromsø tied Galatasaray 1–1 at the feared [[Ali Sami Yen Stadium]], thanks to many important saves by [[Lars Hirschfeld]] and a goal in the first half from a shot by [[Patrice Bernier]] via [[Stephen Ademolu]]. Tromsø thus advanced to the group stage of the cup. This result was seen by many as a huge upset, and some Tromsø fans and players immediately declared it a historic win, likening it to the 1996 [[Norwegian football cup|Norwegian cup]] championship and the 1985 [[promotion (sports)|promotion]].

Tromsø lost the first group match, a home game against [[A.S. Roma|Roma]]. The final score was 2–1, and Ole Martin Årst scored Tromsø's goal. The second match saw Tromsø lose again, 2–0 away to [[RC Strasbourg Alsace|Strasbourg]]. Tromsø won their third match, 3–1 at home against [[Red Star Belgrade]]. [[Benjamin Kibebe]] scored the first goal, while Årst scored the two last goals. Tromsø lost the last match, against [[FC Basel|Basel]], 4–3, and were subsequently knocked out of the UEFA Cup. Lars Iver Strand scored twice and Årst once. The club ended last in its group.

Tromsø got off to a good start in the [[2009–10 UEFA Europa League]], playing 0–0 away to [[FC Dinamo Minsk|Dinamo Minsk]] and then winning 4–1 at home (after two goals by [[Tommy Knarvik]], one by [[Morten Moldskred]], and one own goal) in the second qualifying round. Tromsø played [[NK Slaven Belupo|Slaven Belupo]] in the third qualifying round, marking the second time in history Tromsø played a Croatian club in a European cup. They won 2–1 at Alfheim, after Slaven scored late in the first half. Two goals in the second half within two minutes, the second by a lightly hurt Sigurd Rushfeldt, they won at home, and after 0–2 away, at a tricky home stadium, two goals by Rushfeldt (in the 14th and 81st minutes) won their way and win into the third and last qualifying round of the European league 2009. Now, they will play against one of the historically most successful clubs in Spain, [[Athletic Bilbao]]. Sigurd Rushfeldt has played in the Spanish league as a first targeter. Athletic won the first leg in [[Bilbao]] 3–2, including one goal from a controversial penalty when the Bilbao player appeared to dive. Another controversial penalty, this time awarded by French referee [[Tony Chapron]], ended Tromsø's chances, as they drew the home leg 1–1 and lost 3–4 on aggregate – two of the four goals coming from controversial penalty decisions.