Norway sent manager Stale Solbakken to face the microphones on Saturday, flanked by Fredrik Aursnes and Andreas Schjelderup. Haaland, originally listed as the headline speaker ahead of the visit of Portugal, was no longer on the panel.
Media manager Morten Skjonsberg confirmed the change on Norwegian broadcaster TV 2. No official reason was given.
The removal came a day after a Premier League independent commission ruled that Manchester City were responsible for 114 of 115 financial charges filed by the league, covering the seasons from 2009-10 to 2017-18.
Manchester City guilty on 114 of 115 charges
The charges included 54 counts of failing to provide accurate financial information, seven breaches of the league’s Profit and Sustainability Rules and 35 counts of non-cooperation with investigators. The full written ruling has not been published and no sanctions have been announced. The club is expected to appeal within the 14-day window Premier League rules allow.
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Haaland’s own position at the club is not on the table in that process. In January 2025 he signed a nine-and-a-half-year deal running to 2034, reported to be the longest ever agreed by a Premier League player, with all release clauses removed from his terms.
Goal 22 in Oslo
Haaland levelled Sunday’s tie in the 51st minute after João Félix had put Portugal ahead in the 17th. It was his 22nd Nations League goal, extending his own record in the competition.
Portugal, with Cristiano Ronaldo left on the bench, restored their lead almost immediately. Gonçalo Ramos intercepted a poor clearance from Norway goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland in the 54th minute for a 2-1 win.
The forward’s club form has held despite the noise around City. He has scored in each of Manchester City’s opening five Premier League matches, all of them wins. On Thursday, before the verdict, he scored twice in a 3-2 Nations League victory over Denmark that carried him past Zlatan Ibrahimović as the highest-scoring Nordic men’s international.
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