The Norwegian U21 national team won the final victory in the European Cup qualifying match against Azerbaijan in Marienlyst, Tuesday night.

– Incredible achievements

Jørgen Strand Larsen and Erik Botheim scored Norway’s goals in a 2-1 win, meaning that Norway won the group and qualified for the European Championship finals next summer.

Match winner Erik Botheim is thrilled to have sent Norway to the European Championships.

– What we have achieved today is a great achievement, he told NRK after the game.

He said that Norway was clearly affected by the events.

– We weren’t very good today, we were nervous, but that’s normal in such an important game. “Fortunately, we managed to paddle it ashore,” said the striker.

– Erling has nothing to do here

Everyone born after 1 January 2000 is eligible to play in the European Championship. This includes Erling Braut Haaland.

But those who had high hopes for the City forward to play for the U21s in next summer’s championship, may be disappointed. National team A will play two important European Championship qualifying matches in the midst of the U21 European Championship.

The Norwegian national team A has two matches in the European Championship qualifiers 16-20. June next year, while the U21 European Championship is played from 9-22. June.

After all, Erik Botheim didn’t want Haaland to join, he joked.

– If Erling comes here I will be kicked out of the team so I will ask him to stay in the A national team, Botheim smiles when NRK asks if he wants to lobby to take Haaland to the U21 European Championship.

Botheim believes it would be the wrong priority to use Haaland at U21 level.

– He has nothing to do here, he said.

The U21 national team manager, Leif Gunnar Smerud, doesn’t think it is very likely that he will get one of the world’s best strikers in the squad for the European Championship.

– I doubt that. If he wants him, and neither club nor national team A wants him, I will not stand in his way. “But now I think we have to focus on those who have played us for the European Championship, so we stop there,” said Smerud.

– Dreams come true

The championships will be held in Romania and Georgia from June 9 to July 2, 2023.

Smerud is the man of relief after Tuesday’s tricky win.

– It’s a dream come true for a team that has fought really hard and made a good qualifier. It’s absolutely fantastic, and historic, because it doesn’t happen often with Norway. We are very proud today, Smerud told NRK after the game.

He praised the winner of the match without his club Erik Botheim.

– He’s done a really crazy job. I think I read that he’s been 170 days without playing a game, but then he’s played three games almost full and trained this collection well. He is a machine and makes “amazing” collections both on and off the pitch for us, Smerud told NRK.

First since 2013

Thus, Norway will play the European Cup final for the U21 national team for the first time since 2013.

At that time, Norway reached the semifinals with current national team A players like Stefan Strandberg, Omar Elabdellaoui and rjan Nyland in the team.

Smerud believes the team on Tuesday was characterized by high shoulders.

– We are affected by the odds, so we have to be honest. There’s a bit of charm in football, it’s not often that we play important games like this. But in the end we managed to row it ashore, said Smerud.

The young U21 national team manager made an impressive appearance in the group stage and excelled over teams such as Croatia, Finland and Austria.

16 countries participate in the European Championship, and these teams currently qualify:

– It really hurts that we made it happen

Belgium, United Kingdom, France, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Germany, Georgia (organizer), Romania (organizer).

– It really hurts that we’ve made it happen. All honor to Erik (Botheim) who won the game, but also all honor to the whole team. There are a lot of profiles here who have contributed to this, but who don’t score or have a goalscorer, and praise the support apparatus around. Although the match itself was terrible, Strand Larsen told NRK.

He prefers to spend as little time as possible on post-match interviews. Now the celebration awaits all night with the team.

– Don’t call me tomorrow, at least, said Strand Larsen with a smile.

NFF boss praises talent work

NFF president Lise Klaveness is proud that the U21 boys secured European Championship tickets.

“It was important for us to reach the championship, it’s something we have invested a lot strategically in,” Klaveness told NRK.

The NFF boss believes his European Championship ticket is the result of a lot of good work in Norwegian football.

– The fact that you are now coming to the championship here, and succeeding with the national team A in the National League, is a sign that Norway’s top clubs have been doing well over time and doing very well in their talent job, he believes.

European Championship draw in October

Which team will meet Norway will be decided in the draw in Bucharest on 18 October this year. The draw for the playoffs where the teams will meet to secure a final ticket to the European Championship will take place on June 21.

The U21 European Championships will also be an opportunity for Norwegian men to qualify for the Summer Olympics in Paris in 2024.

– I think this gang here will take this as far as possible. But we had to go to the European Championships first, and now we have made it, said Smerud.

Nervous and indecisive Norway struggled for long to find the hole on Tuesday night, but in the second half it loosened up when Haldenser Strand Larsen struck 1-0 from close range after a fine post on the ground from Viking’s Sebastian Sebulonsen.

Norway’s big loss

Ildar Alekperov equalized for the visitors when a difficult pass from Markus Solbakken ended with Jesper Daland, who missed, gifting the ball to Alekperov at defender. Alone with Kristoffer Klaesson, he did nothing wrong and made it 1-1.

But Norway came back and improved to 2-1 when the clubless Erik Botheim headed a set-piece from Håkon Evjen 13 minutes from time. It was a win and a European Championship ticket.