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Haaland and Berge Absent
🇳🇴 Norway /Sports

Haaland and Berge Absent

From Aftenposten · () Norwegian

Translated from Norwegian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Star players Erling Haaland and Sander Berge missed a reception with the King of Norway and fans due to flight delays.
  • The national team returned to Norway after a six-week stay in the USA, but significant delays impacted their schedule.
  • Despite the absence of key players, the team expressed gratitude for fan support and reflected on their World Cup experience.

The Norwegian national football team's return from their World Cup campaign was marred by significant flight delays, preventing star players Erling Haaland and Sander Berge from attending key events. Upon landing at Gardermoen airport, the team proceeded directly to the Royal Palace to meet King Harald V. Both Haaland and Berge were present for this initial greeting but had to depart early due to the extensive delays they experienced.

We were so very delayed. So he had timed this to perfection, and he and Sander had some appointments that could not be broken.

— Ståle Solbakken, National team coachSolbakken explains to TV2 why Haaland and Berge had to leave the royal reception early.

National team coach Ståle Solbakken explained the situation to TV2, stating that the players were "so very delayed" and had "some appointments that could not be broken." He elaborated that the team was held up for "3.5-4 hours in the USA," which disrupted their carefully planned schedule. This meant that while they met the King, their subsequent engagements, including a planned interaction with fans, were compromised.

They had to leave. It is not their fault. We were held up 3.5-4 hours in the USA.

— Ståle Solbakken, National team coachSolbakken further clarifies to TV2 the reason for the players' early departure, citing significant delays.

Team captain Martin Ødegaard shared with NRK that the delays caused "a lot of confusion." He conveyed that Haaland and Berge "would have loved to be here" for the fan engagement and expressed their thanks for the support received throughout the tournament. The team's six-week stay in the USA for the World Cup has now concluded, with players reflecting on the experience.

They would have loved to be here. We would just like to greet everyone and thank them for all the support.

— Martin Ødegaard, National team captainØdegaard tells NRK that Haaland and Berge wished they could have stayed for the fans.

Goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland also commented on the situation to NRK, acknowledging the disappointment of the absent stars. "We would have loved to have them here, but we will enjoy ourselves and take in the impressions we are getting now," he said. The King himself was reportedly moved upon meeting several members of the national team staff.

It was a bit emotional to see that it is over. We have experienced incredibly much. One must try to enjoy it afterwards too.

— Martin Ødegaard, National team captainØdegaard reflects on the conclusion of the World Cup campaign to VG.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Aftenposten in Norwegian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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