Norway’s final Group I game against France was supposed to be a showdown between Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe. But the Norway frontman wasn’t named in the playing XI, with Stale Solbakken making 10 changes in total. Haaland didn’t even get introduced as a substitute in the second half, even with his side trailing 1-4.
After the match, Solbakken was criticised by fans for his changes. Many also called him out for giving up on the match before it even began. Before the match, first position in Group I was still possible, but a second-strikng side saw those hopes vanish. Other than Haaland, even Martin Odegaard and Antonio Nusa were also benched.
‘I said beforehand that I don’t care, and that is still the case’
Speaking after the match, Haaland defended his manager’s decision and pointed out that Norway would have lost even with their strong XI. “I said beforehand that I don’t care, and that is still the case,” he said.
“France was the better team anyway. Even with our strongest 11, I don’t think we could have beaten them.”
The 4-1 victory saw Ousmane Dembele score a first-half hat-trick. Meanwhile, Desire Doue added another in second-half injury time.
“France has world-class players everywhere. [Kylian] Mbappe, [Michael] Olise, [Ousmane] Dembele… they just keep coming. They will pose a problem for any team and I honestly think they can go very far. What they showed against us was terrifying,” he added.
Meanwhile, Solbakken also defended his decision, stating that there were no regrets. “I would do it again immediately,” he said.
“We are here to go as far as possible and I have to make the decisions that I think will take us the furthest. The only thing I feel guilty about is the traveling fans who wanted to see Erling, Martin, and the other stars,” he added.
Norway take on the Ivory Coast in the Round of 32 on June 30. The decision to rest key players could be pivotal, as they will be fresh for the knockout stages.
