On September 28, Norwegian media outlet VG reported that Norway national team coach Ståle Solbakken sharply criticized NRK commentator Jan-Petter Saltvedt in a recent interview after Saltvedt made statements about Haaland's absence from a pre-match press conference.

In a commentary published on Saturday, Saltvedt suggested that Haaland did not attend the press conference due to pressure from Manchester City. This came shortly after Manchester City was reportedly found guilty of 114 of 115 alleged breaches of Premier League financial regulations.

Saltvedt wrote: "No one will believe that Manchester City did not ask the Norwegian Football Federation to protect its star striker by keeping him away from the questions he would otherwise have faced."

Solbakken subsequently issued a strong refutation of this claim.

At a press conference on Monday, following Norway's 2-1 defeat to Portugal, Solbakken told Dagbladet: "I can say with a clear conscience that Saltvedt was talking nonsense from beginning to end."

Solbakken continued: "I have not spoken with Manchester City about media-related matters since Erling was about to transfer from Dortmund to Manchester City. That was the last time I communicated with Manchester City about media issues."

The Norwegian national team coach did not stop there.

"This is a lie. And it also damages my character. I value honesty highly because this is the national team for the people. I will do my best to give everything for myself and for the team. You have an obligation to participate in these activities."

"But I will not accept such lies from one of Norway's largest media outlets... words spoken by someone sitting behind a desk at NRK who thinks he knows everything."

Solbakken also stated: "He can take my phone, and he can take the phone of media manager Morten Schjoldager, and check all my messages, emails, and call logs. Then he will see that everything he said was nonsense."

The incident stemmed from Haaland's original plan to attend the routine pre-match press conference early in the week, but arrangements suddenly changed.

In the end, Andreas Schjelderup and Fredrik Aursnes attended the press conference. The Norwegian Football Federation only announced the change regarding Haaland's absence hours after news about Manchester City broke.

Recent Manchester City Case Timeline

In February 2023, the Premier League charged Manchester City with 115 breaches of the league's financial regulations, including failure to cooperate with investigations.

According to The Athletic, Manchester City has now been found guilty of 114 of the 115 alleged breaches. This information comes from anonymous sources familiar with the case.

Specific penalties have not yet been determined, and Manchester City is expected to appeal the decision.

The case primarily concerns alleged rule violations between 2009 and 2018. The investigation began in 2018 after Der Spiegel published a series of leaked documents.

The charges involve several aspects, including providing inaccurate financial information, failing to fully disclose payments to players and coaches, and breaching UEFA and Premier League financial regulations.

Manchester City has consistently denied the allegations. The club states that proceedings in the case are still ongoing, with significant parts yet to be completed, and that the case is subject to strict confidentiality rules.

Possible penalties range from warnings and fines to points deductions and even expulsion from the Premier League.

Solbakken Explains His Reasoning

Solbakken explained that he made the decision to exempt Haaland from the press conference himself.

"This was a decision I made without consulting Erling. I simply told him: 'You don't need to attend. If you want to go, go. But in my opinion, you are allowed not to attend,'" Solbakken said.

When asked about Solbakken's statements, Saltvedt responded to VG by text message. He emphasized that he had not attended the press conference, but regarding Solbakken's strong reaction, he stated:

"It's his job, so of course he can do that."

Norway will play its next UEFA Nations League match this Thursday, an away game against Wales.

The major question is whether Norway captain Martin Ødegaard will be able to play. He left the field injured following a hard tackle by Bernardo Silva.

Regarding Ødegaard's injury, Solbakken said: "I don't know. He has an ankle sprain, so we'll have to wait and see."

However, Solbakken confirmed that Ødegaard was not sent back to his club and remains with the Norwegian national team.

Traduzido por IA.

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