The dramatic story behind Norway's coach's viral kiss: He was dead for 12 minutes and 'his funeral was prepared'
Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
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- Norway's coach Stale Solbakken shared a viral moment kissing his wife after their World Cup victory.
- The celebration followed a dramatic personal history where Solbakken clinically died for 12 minutes after a cardiac arrest in 2001.
- He described the near-death experience as a turning point that strengthened his family and changed his perspective on life.
Norway's coach, Stale Solbakken, captured hearts worldwide with a spontaneous gesture after his team secured a 3-2 victory against Senegal in the World Cup, qualifying for the next round. In a moment of pure elation, Solbakken climbed into the stands to kiss his wife, Anniken Solbakken, celebrating the hard-fought win.
I didn't know where they were located, so I had to find a way to get up to the stands.
"I didn't know where they were located, so I had to find a way to get up to the stands," the coach explained later about his impulsive act. While the victory and his praise for Erling Haaland, who scored two goals, were noted – Solbakken even joked about Haaland missing a clear chance – the most talked-about aspect of the celebration was the tender scene between the couple.
Today he did miss a clear chance. He could have scored even more goals.
However, behind this euphoric display lies a profound story of personal resilience. On March 13, 2001, Solbakken suffered a cardiac arrest during training with FC Kobenhavn. His heart stopped for 12 minutes, a period during which he was declared clinically dead. "They prepared my funeral," the coach confessed years later, recalling the harrowing event.
They prepared my funeral.
He described the experience as initially being "total darkness" before seeing a "beautiful light" through a "tunnel." Dr. Frank Odgaard saved his life with cardiopulmonary resuscitation and a defibrillator. This near-death experience profoundly impacted his family, with his wife still finding it difficult to discuss. Solbakken now views the event as a pivotal moment that brought his family closer and taught him to appreciate life's true priorities.
At first I saw nothing, only total darkness. Then a clear blue appeared, let's call it a tunnel. It was a beautiful light.
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by La Nación in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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