On Wednesday, Haaland was asked by Dagbladet about one of his signature celebrations, where he holds one finger to his ear and points the other in the air. – Can you explain a little about the background for it? – No, I don’t really feel the need for that, Haaland began, while the smile grew around the mouth of national team coach Ståle Solbakken. He then followed up with a slightly cocky message, which is truer for him than for the vast majority of footballers: – I love to celebrate and it is a big part of my life. Haaland obviously said it with a twinkle in his eye. But he appeared smiling and seemingly full of self-confidence, where he sat next to national team manager Ståle Solbakken at Ullevaal. And it is perhaps not so surprising after 14 goal celebrations in 10 games for Manchester City. Photo: CARL RECINE / Reuters Precisely that self-confidence and radiance believes news’s football expert Carl-Erik Torp increases the chances of Norwegian championship participation under Ståle Solbakken’s management: – It is absolutely priceless. It is absolutely extreme. He points to how Haaland’s presence helps the whole team rise. – Regardless of the match picture, he can score. The players know that if they keep a clean sheet, Erling will score, and then the game is won. It provides the morale required to withstand enormous pressure when one begins to tire. Money can’t buy something like this, says Torp. The City friend gets questions from all quarters. There are many people who know the enormous interest in Haaland. City team-mate Jack Grealish says that the jærbow is a favorite subject with most people he meets. – Wherever I go, whether it’s from friends, family or people on the street, they always ask: “How is Haaland?”, says Jack Grealish at England’s press conference before Britain’s international match against Italy on Friday evening. Grealish, who is a teammate of Haaland at City, fully praises both the sporting and non-sporting aspects of the Norwegian when people ask. – I cannot speak highly enough of him, he is incredible as a player and person. He is a brilliant, brilliant person. Incredibly humble considering what he has already achieved. The attitude he has when it comes to scoring goals, it’s absolutely incredible, says Grealish. Jack Grealish (th) fully praises his team-mate from Norway. Photo: GEOFF CADDICK / AFP When Haaland met the Norwegian press for the first time since May on Wednesday, much of the attention was devoted to the forward’s views on the alleged violations of human rights by City’s owners. But he also answered questions about the sporting start he has had since his move to the Premier League and Manchester City. – I didn’t expect to score 14 goals so far, I’ll be honest. But a team that scored 100 goals last season, that I will get in there and score goals, I was absolutely sure of that, says Haaland. The striker is ready for two important international matches with Norway, a meeting that can ensure Norway a group win and promotion in the National League, which also gives an extra European Championship playoff chance. – The ultimate dream The 22-year-old was asked at Wednesday’s press conference by Aftenposten about how he weighs an EC or WC gold with Norway against a Premier League trophy with City. Then he had to pull the smiley face. – I could easily have won the WC with Norway, I had. It would have been “damn” big, and I think all of you (the journalists) would have joined the party afterwards, so to speak. But of course I want to win everything, both league gold in the Premier League, the biggest league in the world, and other trophies with City. To win the World Cup with Norway, or league gold with City… The World Cup with Norway would have been the ultimate dream, says Haaland. Recently, a debate has flared up in Fotball-Norge: Is Haaland already the greatest player of all time with a Norwegian passport, or does that honor still belong to LSK legend Tom Lund? Haaland was asked to give his opinion: – I was actually waiting for that question there, he begins with a smile. – No, the best Norwegian footballer of all time? There were probably a couple of rascals who played before I was born, so I haven’t seen much of them. I think it is their job in the press to find out who is the best Norwegian football player of all time. If someone means me, then they should be allowed to mean it, if someone doesn’t mean me, they should be allowed to mean it too, he replies. – Get used to my body Manchester City’s physiotherapist Mario Pafundi has been brought into the support apparatus around the Norwegian national football team. It happened according to an idea from Haaland himself, national team manager Ståle Solbakken revealed this week. At the press conference on Wednesday, Norway’s super forward made no secret of the fact that he is well satisfied that the proposal was listened to by the NFF. – Mario is a physio Pep (Guardiola) brought in when he came to City, and has taken good care of my body. He is a fantastic physio, it’s good we can have him here, says Haaland when asked by Nettavisen. Norway meets Slovenia in Ljubljana in the Nations League on Saturday. Haaland is also in the newspapers there before the important international match. According to NTB, Delo, one of Slovenia’s largest newspapers, tells of detailed training sessions in which Haaland receives a lot of attention. The Slovenian national team manager Matjaž Kek is said to have drilled the team’s defensive lines for several days already, in fear of what the Jærbow can do. – He wants to put together a defense that will stand up to “the laser-guided missiles” Haaland has in his legs. Who will stop the sniper Haaland?, writes Delo. – Both games are super important. If everything goes Norway’s way, the group victory can be secured as early as Saturday. Norway then plays Slovenia at 6pm, while Serbia takes on Sweden in Belgrade at 8.45pm later that evening. If Serbia loses against Sweden in the next match, Norway is the group winner with points against Slovenia. If Serbia draws against Sweden, Norway will win the group with a win against Slovenia. – Both games in this collection are super important. If we beat Slovenia in the first match, we should do well not to finish second, and it is all the group winners and second best that means that we will most likely be seeded in group two in the European Championship qualifiers. So there is a lot to play for, says Ståle Solbakken.
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England star Jack Grealish reveals – “everyone” asks about Haaland – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
