The Norwegian women’s national football team has been a pioneer in the development of international women’s football with good generations and we have been spoiled with good performances. The last few national team years, however, have been a nightmare, despite the fact that there are world stars on the team. Historically, the national team has never been ranked lower in the Fifa rankings than today’s 16th place. The decline of Norwegian women’s football has gone faster than I thought it would. The fact that Norway will be the 16th best nation in the world’s largest women’s sport is, in isolation, no scandal. But we shouldn’t have been there already. UNSURE: news’s football expert Carl-Erik Torp does not think Norway will qualify for the European Championships in 2025. Photo: BILDBYRÅN NORWAY With the exception of the World Cup in France in 2019, three of the last four international championships have been a sporting failure seen from Norwegian eyes. The Norwegian women’s national team in international championships World Cup: 1991 – Losing finalist 1995 – World champion 1999 – Fourth place 2003 – Quarter final 2007 – Fourth place 2011 – Group stage 2015 – Round of 16 2019: Quarter final 2023: Round of 16 EC: 1987 – European champion 1989 – Losing finalist 1991 – Losing finalist 1993 – European champion 1995 – Semifinal 1997 – Group play 2001 – Semifinal 2005 – Losing finalist 2009 – Semifinal 2013 – Losing finalist 2017 – Group play 2022 – Group play Olympics: 1996 – Bronze 2000 – Olympic champion 2004 – Not qualified 2008 – Quarterfinal 2012 – Not qualified 2016 – Not qualified 2020 – Not qualified 2024 – Not qualified The joyful and growing market interest marks a new era in international women’s football, but it is only a matter of time before Norway gets a brutal reality orientation. For the first time since 1984, there is a real possibility that Norway will not qualify for a championship, with the exception of the Olympics. Now I think it is more likely that Norway will not qualify for the EC in Switzerland next summer, than Norwegian participation. The challenge of leading Norway to the EC play-offs in Switzerland could hardly have been greater for the newly appointed national team manager Gemma Grainger. NATIONAL TEAM MANAGER: Gemma Grainger was presented as the new national team manager for the women’s national team on 10 January. Photo: BILDBYRÅN Grainger’s debut away to Croatia is broadcast on news 2 and news TV at 18.00 Friday. What is it that speaks for an unknown British 41-year-old to revive Norwegian national team football? None of the national team players had heard of her when the Norwegian Football Association recently presented her as the new national team manager. Grainger appears extremely structured and has dedicated his life to obtaining the highest education in football, but I think it is a risky hire. HIGH GAME: Carl-Erik Torp believes football president Lise Klaveness and the Norwegian Football Association are taking a chance when they hired British Gemma Grainger as the new national team manager. Photo: BILDBYRÅN The first choice may have been Alexander Strauss, but he is locked into a contract with Bayern Munich. Leif Gunnar Smerud would also have been a safer choice. He knew Lise Klaveness that the players were positive and that they had signaled a desire to keep him. Smerud convinced as temporary national team manager in the autumn’s national league matches after the World Cup fiasco under Hege Riise. In terms of play, Norway stepped up in the six international matches he was responsible for and the central players thrived under his leadership. The association hopes they have struck the golden bird with Grainger, who will unite a group of players who are crying out for a new culture and identity. At the same time, it involves a greater risk to go for an unknown name that the players have to accept when she has to sell her message in the dressing room. There is no doubt that Grainger has strong expertise. She has over 20 years of coaching experience, has worked closely with England’s age-specific national teams and comes from the national team job in Wales. In addition, FIFA handpicked her to be part of the Technical Study Group in last year’s World Cup finals, where she analyzed World Cup matches. Her resume is solid. UNKNOWN: Gemma Grainger has a long coaching career, but was unknown to the Norwegian national team players when she was presented as the new national team manager. Photo: BILDBYRÅN When Grainger presented her first national team, she didn’t talk about football philosophy or how she wants Norway to appear, but she talked about getting the best out of the players and the player material. As I stated when Caroline Graham Hansen was benched in the WC: When you fail to get world stars to work in a team, you have failed as a coach. It was largely Hege Riise’s path. STARS: Ada Hegerberg and Caroline Graham Hansen train at Ullevaal before the national league matches last autumn. Photo: BILDBYRÅN It was a headache for Smerud and it will be one of Grainger’s biggest challenges. At the same time, not everything is bleak. Brann has broken barriers in the Champions League this season and is ready for a historic quarter-final against Barcelona, in addition to the fact that there are several great Norwegian talents who are on the way up and forward. Grainger benefit from these positive factors. She appears offensive, and I have faith that she can make Norway appear in a different way than what we have seen in the past and that we can quickly see better performances. Because I expect the national team to approach the best football nations and show a completely different competitiveness in individual matches. On Friday, the baptism of fire in the national team debut awaits the Norwegian coaching staff. In matches Norway must win. But Norway is in danger of moving down to level B in the National League and Grainger goes straight into two fateful matches against Croatia in the National League playoff, which are directly decisive for future championship opportunities. The groups for the regular EC qualification next year will not be drawn, but are based on the Nations League this year. It will be a scandal if Norway loses against Croatia over two matches and the consequences of a loss will be fatal for Norwegian women’s football. This is why the National League is important for Norway The National League is very important for Norway, as it lays the foundation for the regular European Championship qualification for the European Championship play-offs in 2025. Currently, Norway is in level A, which consists of four groups, but is in danger of move down to level B. After the six group stage matches, Norway finished third in group 2. Fourth place from level A and B moves down directly to level B and C, respectively, while group three – i.e. Norway – must play a playoff against group two in the level below in March 2024. Norway meets Croatia there. The groups for the regular EC qualification next year will not be drawn, but are based on the national league this year. If Norway moves down to level B in the nations league, the road to the EC play-offs in 2025 will be far more challenging compared to the EC road from level A. Eight nations go directly to the EC in 2025, in addition to host nation Switzerland: All four group winners from level A, as well as the group runners-up from level A go directly to the EC. The third and fourth places from level A meet the five group winners from level C, as well as the three best group runners-up from level C. A total of eight games where the eight winners go on to a decisive EC playoff. No one from level B goes directly to the EC. The group winners from level B and the two best group runners-up from level B meet the two worst group runners-up from level B and the group runners-up from level B. Here, the six winners advance to the decisive playoff. In the decisive EC playoff, there will be a total of 14 nations where the seven winners are qualified for the EC play-offs in 2025. The road to the EC in 2025 is already challenging, but it will be much tougher with relegation to level B. With relegation we get a simple group that we will win with poor national team opposition and little sporting development, before we have to go through two demanding playoffs to reach the EC. THE SQUAD: The great talent Signe Gaupset was part of Gemma Grainger’s first national team. Photo: BILDBYRÅN We will then be a B nation and potentially be on the same level as nations such as Hungary (42nd FIFA ranking), Slovakia (47), Northern Ireland (45) and Ukraine (33). It will be completely on the nose and a cruel start for the new national team manager. But let’s hope, hope that it is this Gemma Grainger who will reverse the negative development we have seen for our women’s national team.
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Only a matter of time before Norway gets a brutal reality orientation – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcast schedule
