– We have said along the way and at the FIFA Congress that we will use all means to pressure the World Cup to bring about change. We will still consider using matchdays, even if they are no longer World Cup qualifiers. “We want to take it off the players, who are part of the NFF’s strategy – the political work has to be in the hands of management,” Klaveness told NRK.

The president of football stressed that there should be plenty of room for players and coaches to express themselves, but that the structural responsibility must lie with the political leadership.

– Why shouldn’t players be involved?

– It was an extraordinary situation with the Qatar case in which Ståle and the players were involved. That’s great, but we’ve been along the way, since we started international strategy work, very much aware that political work is structural. The leaders of the NFF, FIFA and UEFA will be responsible for that. First, that that which will be the most politically effective, and secondly important for protecting sport. There should be plenty of room to be allowed to speak, but there shouldn’t be any pressure on players to speak. There will be freedom, but the pressure will be on us leaders, Klaveness said.

Think Klaveness is bluffing

That explanation doesn’t buy NRK sports commentator Jan Petter Saltvedt. He thought Klaveness was bluffing about the real cause.

– I don’t think he expects to believe that this has nothing to do with Erling Braut Haaland. Of course, this is only because of the transition of Norway’s biggest star to a club with a somewhat controversial owner, who uses Manchester City and now Erling Braut Haaland for so-called sports laundry, Saltvedt said.

He believes the NFF’s choice to exclude the players from the mark was purely special treatment of Haaland.

– This means that he doesn’t have to get into a dilemma where he is criticized no matter what he does. If he flagged, there would be indirect criticism of his new employer. If he didn’t take part in the tagging, it would seem hypocritical since he took part in it before, Saltvedt said.

Considering other options

The president of football denies that it was Haaland’s transfer to Manchester City that caused the change.

– Absolutely notdWe’ve been doing this for over a year. The international strategic work, which will be adopted this June, has been such that the political work will be taken over by the council. Good because it is most effective politically, but also for sporting shields. This is the biggest competition in the world, and we depend on players who are fully focused on what they are going to do. Complete freedom to express what they want, but full focus on what they want to do. This has nothing to do with Haaland’s transition, but work that has been going on over time, Klaveness said.

The Premier League club is owned by the Abu Dhabi royal family who are accused of gross human rights abuses.

In Norway, many point to the paradox that Haaland and the national team have marked the lead-up to the transition against World Cup hosts Qatar.

– What will be the next statement or sign now that you have left the T-shirt?

– We’ll see when the game is played. “This is something I have to discuss with my colleagues on the board,” Klaveness said.

– Especially the unsolicited players

The changes have not been discussed with the players, according to Klaveness.

Jan Petter Saltvedt was taken aback by this.

– I think it’s special that the players haven’t even been asked if they want to continue the mark from now until the World Cup starts in November, now there really will be attention elsewhere than in Norway too. We’ve got international attention, so of course we’ll settle this in the national league game now and until the World Cup starts, he believes.

– Gotta take care of us

Saltvedt was among those who called Qatar’s sign with Haaland in the national team a dilemma.

Earlier Tuesday, national team manager Ståle Solbakken stressed that the football president should be asked whether Norway would continue with Qatar’s celebrations.

At the same time, he defended Haaland.

– It is possible to tilt it in many ways. The bottom line is that it is impossible for Erling as an individual to have to carry the whole human rights discussion because he has chosen Manchester City. We can’t demand that, neither can he. City and their owners have been rightly criticized, but at the same time the Premier League is allowing them, Solbakken told NRK.

The national team manager pointed out that there is no player, coach or manager at Manchester City who does not share the same values ​​and thoughts about human rights as “you and I”.

– We have to make sure that it’s not Erling who will take all the surprises. We have female Norwegian players at City from time to time, City have players from different countries. It also has other clubs. We have to make sure we don’t violate those limits regarding Erling, said Solbakken.

The national team manager referred to football president Lise Klaveness when asked whether Norway would continue playing against Qatar or not.

He is the one who will answer political questions, the national team manager points out.

– I’ve been a bit of a politician next door, and that’s fine. It’s a good experience to take with you, says Solbakken.

– Can get a lot of good things from him

The national team manager also said that he had not yet decided whether he would travel to the Qatar World Cup himself.

When asked what he thought of the debate that arose after Haaland’s transition, he replied:

– In Norway, there is a lot of focus on that, and we have to do well. A lot of good could come of it, but there was no way Erling would be responsible for everything that happened in the world. That said, we’ve taken our stand, and Erling has been a part of it.