– It’s very heavy, of course. I wish I could do something about the situation, but my legs are cramped and immobile. I just have to apologize for that. My body told me to stop, and then I couldn’t do anything about it, an exhausted Østigård told NRK after the total meltdown.

The centre-back was under a lot of pressure when he met NRK in the press zone. In the dying minutes, with the score at 1-0 to Norway, Østigård set the ball up for Lyndon Dykes, who equalized for the unnamed Scotland.

– Stupid choice

Just two minutes later, Scotland completed a lightning-quick turnaround, thus putting a long way to rest from Norway’s European Commission hopes.

Østigård, who was Norway’s weakest player on the NRK stock exchange, sat on the grass and received words of encouragement from Erling Braut Haaland and his team-mates.

National team captain Martin Ødegaard told NRK he was tired of getting questions about Østigård.

– It’s not about Leo, it’s about the team. We win together and lose together. I can’t stand to hear any more talk about Leo. We as a team lost today, said the midfielder.

A distraught Østigård told NRK that he started having cramps after 60 minutes, and he said he was struggling.

– I speak. “I never wanted to be a player who said I wanted to be replaced, but I understood myself that something was not right and I was struggling,” said Østigård.

He continued:

– I spoke 3-4 times. Of course, it would be even more obvious that those on the sidelines could beat me. Maybe we should have done it today, but now it has. It was a stupid choice, said Østigård.

– The Norwegian people deserve much more than this, and I hope to do something about it, added the visibly impressed Østigård.

Solbakken’s answer

But Østigård’s problems were not perceived by national team manager Ståle Solbakken as a desire for change.

At the press conference following the loss, Solbakken responded as follows whether Østigård indicated he wanted to be replaced:

– No, he didn’t. If you ask to change, you do it like that, Solbakken said and twisted his hand.

– But if something goes wrong, that’s it. I have the good impression that he can go far. He also finished playing, said Solbakken.

However, the national team manager explained that Østigård should have been replaced – look in retrospect.

Solbakken had to endure a number of critical questions over the changes made towards the end of the game. Like Østigård, he scored a triple on the stock exchange.

The national team manager called the collapse “the worst thing we’ve ever experienced”. The defeat made the hopes of a direct ticket to the European Cup almost vanished at Ullevaal.

On Tuesday, Cypriots waited in front of a sold out Ullevaal. Solbakken admits that it will be difficult getting up in time for the game.

– It’s a mental break from another world, says the national team manager.

Ødegaard has also made no secret of the fact that his players are so far down.

– It’s hard now. It is very dark and difficult to put into words what we feel. We must stand together more than ever. And support each other and make sure we stand together, the national team captain told NRK.