– OMG. I’m going to take the train, too. If the train is the reason why you have heavy legs in a cup final … Then you have to start walking in yourself, says Lillestrøm centre-back Ruben Gabrielsen to news about the debate that has flared up in Bergen in recent days. It has been a tradition for several decades that the Brann players take part in the main procession in Bergen on 17 May and walk through the city’s streets as part of a long train. – Completely hair-raising Even though Brann plays a match on 16 May, and has a cup final and a trip to Oslo on 20 May, the Brann players do not escape tradition this time either. And that creates violent reactions. – I find it completely hair-raising, almost so I can’t believe what I’m hearing. That the focus should be on anything other than getting tired legs and heads ready for the most important match of the season is difficult for me to understand, says TV 2’s football expert Yaw Amankwah, – This is not worthy of top sport, says former Brann player and current Bergen newspaper expert Jonas Grønner. But at Åråsen, LSK profile Ruben Gabrielsen refuses to agree to the premise that it is stupid of LSK’s cup final opponent to spend time on the 17 May train. – You know what. There is not a player in history who has stood in a cup final and has said that “I have heavy legs today”. It’s the cup final. You can do whatever you want before that. I will take two trains. I’m going out to be with my family. I’m going to have a nice day. I focus more on the mental surplus, that I get a nice day with my family, says Gabrielsen to news. – Fierce debate within Brann captain Sivert Heltne Nilsen was early on in suggesting that Brann should drop the tradition this time. After the semi-final, he said the following to Bergensavisen: – I am unsure whether we will be allowed to go on the 17 May train this year. We might have to drive. There are so many matches. Walking through the train in dress shoes with the May 16 match in your legs… Maybe that’s something we have to look at, said Heltne Nilsen. Sivert Heltne Nilsen was initially skeptical of the whole thing. Photo: Bjørnar Morønning / NTB According to BA, the topic has been heatedly debated within the club, but the choice came down to the players being required to leave. Fire coach Eirik Horneland insists that the team will go in the procession through the city on National Day. – I am positive that we are being asked to stand. I think it can provide energy, says Horneland to news. The players will, among other things, be taken by bus down to the train to reduce the load. Is it stupid of Brann to go on the May 17 train three days before the cup final? LSK coach Geir Bakke wants to talk as little as possible about the cup final and as much as possible about the May 16 match against Sarpsborg 08. But Bakke answers this way to news’s question about what he thinks about the train debate in Bergen and what kind of guidelines he gives his own players before National Day. – I don’t care what Brann does. We have planned for the players to be able to do what is right for them on 17 May, they are in different phases of life, some have small children and others are in a different setting. We have opened that day as a day where we will celebrate our national day, says Bakke. Ruben Gabrielsen is going to use May 17 to get a mental boost. Photo: Beate Oma Dahle / NTB Gabrielsen: – Hopelessly Ruben Gabrielsen does nothing but look forward to the national day, with zero worries that there will be an energy leak before what will be a terrific cup final at Ullevaal on Saturday at 4 p.m. – That it is a debate, I think is hopeless. Of course you’re going out and going by train. Go out and enjoy yourself with your family. It’s May 17th. The children will get ice cream. 17 ice because it’s May 17. You should smile at people, you should be happy. It’s a great day if the weather is nice. But if they want to lie inside and think about a football match, then absolutely. Know that I’m out and about, going by train, going to be with my family and smile and run some autographs, he says. – Isn’t that a good excuse if they lose? – In that case, it’s a new excuse, I’ve never heard it before. But I know Sivert, it’s not something he had used. They have no excuses, they are good at it, they look after their own business. I don’t think they spend any time and effort on this, it’s May 17th, go enjoy yourself. We celebrate this day one day a year, says the LSK stopper. Lillestrøm meets Sarpsborg 08 at Åråsen on Tuesday at 6pm. Brann welcomes Stabæk at Brann Stadion at the same time.
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