Mehran

🚨🚨 Norway coach Ståle Solbakken on why he rested his starting eleven & Erling Haaland vs. France, speaking to a packed press room: Reporter: “Ståle, millions of fans tuned in today expecting a titanic, blockbuster clash between Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé. Instead, they got a B-team. Why did you rob the world of that matchup?” Ståle Solbakken: (Laughs, leaning into the microphone) “Look, I know you all expected the big clash of Haaland and Mbappé. It looks great on a billboard, it’s amazing for TV ratings, and trust me, Erling wanted to play. But please! Some of my players were completely exhausted. My midfielders were playing through cramps against Senegal, and the medical staff looked at me like I was a madman if I started them again.And let’s be totally honest for a second — I’m avoiding the hard route!” (Grins as the press room erupts in chuckles) ❌️ “Why would I burn out my best players just to win the group, play Sweden in an intense derby, and then get rewarded with Germany in the next round? No, thank you!We take the rest, we take the flight to Dallas, and we let France deal with that side of the bracket. Hahaha!” Reporter: “So you deliberately chose to finish second?” Ståle Solbakken: “I chose to keep my players alive! If that means we get a fully rested Haaland for the knockout rounds and a slightly friendlier path, I will gladly play the villain. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some sunscreen to pack for Texas. 😂😂 From Blaqwit Footy Tales