Praises wife after son's illness: – She is very strong

Ståle Solbakken, the head coach of the Norwegian national football team, has opened up about the emotional toll his son Markus's recent diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) took on him and his family.

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It was clearly toughest at the turn of January/February.

Solbakken described the period around January and February as the toughest, coinciding with his efforts to prepare the national team for their first World Cup in 28 years. His son Markus, a professional footballer, experienced a sudden loss of vision in one eye, leading to a diagnosis of MS after weeks of uncertainty.

While Solbakken admitted to experiencing sleepless nights and restlessness, he emphasized that his son handled the diagnosis with remarkable strength and positivity. "He has handled it better than me. You get affected when it's your own children. That's just how it is," Solbakken told VG.

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I woke up one Tuesday to find my vision was gone, at least in one eye.

He particularly lauded his wife, Anniken, for her resilience and unwavering support. "My wife is very strong. She is ultra-positive and always sees solutions," he said, noting that she has been instrumental in managing the family's challenges, which also included Solbakken losing his mother the previous year.

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He has handled it better than me. You get affected when it's your own children. That's just how it is.

Markus Solbakken continues to experience vision issues when his heart rate is high but was able to participate in his team's league finale and celebrate their championship win. Solbakken is now heading to the U.S. with confidence in his son's well-being, while the rest of the family cheers on the national team coach.

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A little less sleep. A little restless. But at the same time, all the answers after the diagnosis have been very positive. From him, there hasn't been much whining. He has been very strong.