Snap, snap, snout, and the EC adventure is over. After Israel's defeat against Romania on Saturday night, it was clear that Norway was not among the 24 European countries that will play this summer's championship in Germany.
The fact that Norway, with two Ballon d'Or nominees, will not participate in the championship with so many countries – caused a stir.
– Clone it
A number of the biggest European media and football websites also wrote their own stories about Norway's failure to qualify this weekend, such as Daily Mail, Sun, Target, FourFourTwo And Talk sports.
– Erling Haaland's wait for international tournaments continues, writes Talksport.
– Two of the Premier League's best players will be absent from the EC, writes FourFourTwo.
– Norway has once again succeeded in qualifying for a major tournament, wrote Goal.
– We are very sorry
Celta Vigo striker Jørgen Strand Larsen, who will play against Scotland on Sunday evening with Erling Braut Haaland sidelined through injury, said the squad was affected by the slump.
Sunday's game at Hampden Park in Glasgow had the potential to be a classic, a pure final for European places, but instead it will be a party in which Scotland celebrate their obvious progress.
– It hurts. We know how close we are, and how small a margin we have if we can get in a position where it can be a big final, where the whole city and the whole of Norway is overflowing. “We're very sorry about that,” Strand Larsen said.
LEI SEG: Jørgen Strand Larsen marked a slump in Norway.
Photo: Fredrik Varfjell / NTB
– You join the ranks of the failed Norwegian national team. How much impact does it have on the playing group?
– I don't think everyone understands how much influence it has on each player. The mood after the game that we felt we could have and should have done better was very low. Life goes on and we can't do anything but keep going. We will do everything for Norway, Strand Larsen told NRK.
He asked the Norwegian people not to lose confidence in them.
– It's not always easy, but we know that better times are coming. We have an excellent support system and football team. We will win the title, but it's not now, he realized.
Get advice from Scotland
The fact that Scotland managed to clinch a place in the European Commission ahead of Norway means that Scotland have now qualified for two European Commission play-offs in a row.
When asked by NRK about what Norway could learn from Scotland, Scotland success coach Steve Clarke said the following:
– Trust the process, trust the coaches, trust the players. Then you can work with the path you have chosen, if you are sure that it is the right one. And have faith, have strong belief that you can really make it to the championship. “When I look at the Norwegian squad and the players they have, and they remain confident in the path they are taking now, I think they will qualify for the championship soon,” he told NRK.
ADVICE: Steve Clarke believes Norway will soon succeed in winning the title.
Photo: GIORGI ARJEVANIDZE / AFP
Solbakken is still sleep deprived
If you look back at the EC qualifiers, the one that stands out the most is the home game against Scotland at Ullevaal in June.
Ståle Solbakken says she still has trouble sleeping because of it.
If Norway wins the match against Scotland, Norway and Scotland will be on 13 points before Sunday's meeting at Hampden Park. Then the match will be a pure final, where a win and a draw will send Norway straight to the European Commission.
Villa's John McGinn told Nettavisen that Scotland got a “boost” when Haaland came off the pitch, and the Scotland players were “very happy” when it happened.
MEET THE PRESS: Norway's national team lands in Glasgow on Saturday. There they attended a mandatory press conference under the auspices of UEFA.
Photo: Fredrik Varfjell / NTB
– I'll do it 100 out of 100 times
But Solbakken was adamant today that taking Haaland off the pitch was the right thing to do, even if the change saw the Scot stand higher on the pitch with his team, putting the Norwegians under more pressure and ultimately turning things around.
– I'll do it 100 out of 100 times. “If players can't run and there are five plus ten minutes left, we can't play with ten men,” Solbakken told NRK.
However, Scotland and Celtic player Callum McGregor told a press conference in Glasgow on Saturday that Scotland had an easier time when Haaland retired.
– This was the main question, and he probably didn't know what Erling's health condition was at that time, and he asked to be replaced ten or fifteen minutes beforehand. “That probably means that since Erling isn't playing tomorrow, there's no point in us playing the game,” Solbakken answered somewhat resignedly.
IT SHOULD BE A PARTY: Instead, Ståle Solbakken and Brede Hangeland had to settle for letting Scotland celebrate, while Norway had nothing to complain about.
Photo: Fredrik Varfjell / NTB
– We learn
McGregor believes you need to win 90 percent of matches in qualifying to qualify. Scotland's ability to win matches is crucial, he said when asked what Norway could learn from Scotland.
– Norway had a tough time in Georgia, which opened the door for us, and that just emphasizes that all the games in the group are important, McGregor told NRK.
– It's no one's fault that we lost against Scotland. Football is played with small margins. There's not much we could have done differently, but we learn when things don't go according to our wishes and desires, says Strand Larsen.
Norway has a lot of time to study now. The next important international match will not be played until the national league disbands in September.
Meanwhile, Norway could watch Europe's top 24 nations compete in this summer's football championship in Germany.
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