The Norwegian midfielder signed tonight for Russian Dynamo Moscow. Ståle Solbakken says to news that it made the choice easy for the national team manager. – For me, this was not a difficult decision. I called Mathias as soon as I was told that he was in Russia and told him that the very likely consequence if he signed for the Russian club would be a ban, says Solbakken and continues: – He then signed with the Russian club today , and then Lise and I announced that he was irrelevant as long as he plays in Russian football and the situation is as it is. EASY DECISION: Ståle Solbakken says that it was not a difficult decision to ban Mathias Normann from the national team. Photo: Håkon Mosvold Larsen / NTB – When was it decided? – We cannot rule out a player without him having made the final decision. He then had the opportunity in the last 24 hours and then possibly reconsider his decision, says Solbakken. Since 2019, Normann has played for the Russian club Rostov. He was then loaned to Norwich for the 2021/2022 season, but did not sign permanently for the English club. Since then, the midfielder was close to a new loan deal, this time to Lecce, but the Italian club later pulled out of the deal. MARKING: Mathias Normann, far left in the picture, has taken part in marches for peace and in support of Ukraine in the past. Photo: Lise Åserud / NTB May be out for a long time The national team manager condemns the club choice for Normann, but has not himself made any attempt to influence the club choice apart from telling about the consequences it could have. – I think it is a completely wrong choice. It has the consequence it has had. Then we’ll see if Mathias one day returns to the Norwegian national team. It’s like that if he gets other ideas and such, it’s still a possibility. But right now it is completely out of the question, says Solbakken. It may be quite a while until we see Normann with the Norwegian flag on his chest again. – As the world situation is now, we have based this decision here, so he can be out for a very long time. AGREEMENT: Lise Klaveness and Ståle Solbakken agreed that Mathias Normann could no longer play for the Norwegian national team. Photo: Gorm Kallestad / NTB In a press release on the NFF’s website, football president Lise Klaveness says that there was an agreement to ban Nordmann from the Norwegian national team. – Basically, it is not the association’s role to say anything about national team players’ choice of club, but we are now in an extraordinary situation. All of Norwegian and European football agree to put joint pressure on Russia as a belligerent party, which has also used positions of power in sport very actively, says Klaveness. – Ståle and I agree that Normann cannot represent Norway when he will now play for a new Russian club. – Don’t mix politics and football news has not succeeded in getting in touch with Mathias Normann or his father and advisor Sten Normann. – If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my career, it’s that you don’t mix politics and football. I’m going there to play football and I’m “happy” about that, Normann told TV 2 on Saturday. The 26-year-old emphasizes that he condemns the Russian acts of war in Ukraine. At the same time, he believes that Russia was his best sporting opportunity now. Normann also told the same channel that he feared for the national team place. – Of course, you are always afraid that it will affect it, but I am still Mathias and the footballer I have been in recent years. I hope I am seen as that footballer. FIRST AND LAST: Mathias Normann, right, celebrates his first and provisional last national team goal against Serbia. Photo: Fredrik Varfjell / NTB – Problematisk Jostein Hole Kobbeltvedt is general manager of the Raftostiftelsen. It is a non-profit organization that works to promote human rights and democracy. – I think it is problematic to travel there now. In a situation where the world community has massive sanctions against Russia after the war. I also disagree that football and politics have nothing to do with each other. We know very well that football is used politically. It is impossible to disregard that context, Kobbeltvedt told news on Saturday, before it became clear that Normann was irrelevant for the national team. Kobbeltvedt first emphasizes that the Raftostiftelsen is careful not to place too much responsibility on individual practitioners. He points out that it is more important what clubs and associations do and what signals they send. news’s sports commentator Jan Petter Saltvedt believes that the NFF has made the right decision. – I think Mathias cannot be selected for a Norwegian national team when he consciously makes this choice and prioritizes going back to Russia.
ttn-69
