– It doesn’t matter if it’s fair or unfair. It just goes to show that, in Europe, it pays to be the best.

This is what U21 national team manager Leif Gunnar Smerud had to say to NRK before Norway opened the championship with the first game against Switzerland on Thursday night.

– Got black pepper

Norway have been given a base and are playing all group matches in Cluj, Romania, and Smerud said that the NFF was mindful of the ramifications of the fact that group opponents Italy, France and Switzerland were all ranked better.

The selection of player hotels and training grounds during the EC is based on UEFA ratings, and Norway must choose the latter.

On podcasts «Our Best Man» stated Smerud that Norway “gets blackmailed”.

Especially when the NFF has to choose a national team base during the championship, it becomes a headache.

Smerud explained:

– When you travel to EC, you are basically given several hotel options by UEFA. In the catalog there are six options. Three hotels are very good, two are not so good and the last one is yet to be built, he told NRK.

– Off side

With three great hotels, and Norway with a fourth option, the NFF chose to think outside the box.

– We are a bit offside, because we are not satisfied with the standard of hotels that we can take in that catalog. Then we found another hotel, and it was in the middle of a shopping center. But we live well with it. Then there’s something for the boys to do between games, Smerud assured.

Norway are poised for the U21 EC for the first time in ten years, and there’s an excited group that has already made the trip to Romania.

Smerud told NRK his gut feeling was very good before things came undone with the first group match against Switzerland – a game which many have described as the so-called “must win”.

– It’s been a long wait, so it’s good to finally get started. When you qualified in June last year, and it started in June this year, it’s good to be closer, said the U21 national team manager.

– What do we dream about

Norway ended up in a supposedly tough group with Switzerland, France and Italy. Smerud answered questions about the Norwegian opportunity like this:

– In EC, there are 14 qualifying teams and two pre-existing teams (hosts Romania and Georgia), so it’s a tough level. We think it’s great that we made it there, I’m very proud of that, and the players should be proud of that. “We’ve met good nations, and now we have an interesting group,” he said.

– What are the goals in EC?

– We’ve done this thorough round with the boys, and the goal is to come out as a positive, energetic group, who have courage and determination in the game. We don’t intend to go home until we feel we have given it our all, he said.

– Critical voices would probably say that it is defensive not to say aDo you have no goals to continue?

– Naturally the goal for each team in the championship to progress. But our goal is for us to leave all our energy in that pursuit, then we will calculate in the end.

– Can surprise positively

A brief look at the various bookmakers shows that there is generally little confidence that Norway will advance from the group.

Norway is one of the lowest ranked teams, along with host nation Georgia, among others.

Smerud took it so calmly that his team appeared to be the big “underdog”.

– If you ask most experts, they will say that Norway, with all the parameters you measure, can pack your swimming trunks and go on a trip without much chance. But this is football, it may come as a surprise in a positive way. This team has shown that they can fight with the best, said Smerud.

Norway vs Switzerland match starts on Thursday at 18.00 and is broadcast on NRK 1 (second half on NRK 2).