During the pre-match press conference ahead of Norway's game against Wales, national team coach Ståle Solbakken was asked whether the news regarding Manchester City's alleged violations had affected Haaland's mental state.

Hello, can we start by talking about Erling (Haaland)? Obviously, there's been some big news surrounding Manchester City in recent days. What's Erling's current state of mind? How has he been in training over the past few days?

Very good, he's been scoring continuously.

Have you noticed anything unusual? Have you spoken to him privately? Have you made any decisions regarding this?

He missed a shot from an opportunity he usually wouldn't miss, but that's the only flaw I've seen. He's currently in great form.

But regarding off-field matters, have you had to talk to him about...

What we talked about between us is private.

Do you think his mental state is as stable as ever? As you just mentioned, we know he's a big-name player with a strong personality. Have you noticed anything different about him?

Everything is normal.

Regarding this match, what do you think about tomorrow night's game against Wales? Many outside observers consider you the favored side.

I think Wales is a very strong team. I also think Bellamy has done an excellent job, and I appreciate the tactical style and overall formation he has implemented, which I believe benefits Welsh football as a whole. You can see he has a very modern football philosophy, and he has been successful, even coming very close to an even bigger breakthrough—like in the World Cup playoff against Bosnia and Herzegovina, where they fell just short by two minutes. So I believe the Welsh team is on the right track. They have clearly demonstrated a high level of football, including against strong opponents like Denmark and Portugal. Perhaps unusually, they conceded two goals from set pieces against Denmark but didn't concede any in open play. To be fair, just before halftime, they actually had two excellent chances to take the lead.

You say they are on the right track, but you are also aware that they have not won in their previous two matches. Do you feel this team currently lacks confidence? Could this be something you can exploit?

Perhaps a little, but it's often the case in football: when you've been on a very high momentum and then you concede and lose like that against Bosnia and Herzegovina, it's very difficult to digest immediately. It might take some effort to get back into the best rhythm. But you certainly cannot say they performed poorly against Portugal and Denmark. In those matches, they had their moments of control. Now they are playing at home, so we come here with the utmost respect for the Welsh team, and I know it will be a tough match.

Obviously, reaching the quarter-finals of a world-class tournament is a tremendous achievement, but do you feel the Nations League can be a stage for you to go further, or even compete for the trophy?

First of all, I think the current Nations League is mainly about two things for us. First, to secure a seeded spot in future tournament draws, which is perhaps the main goal; second, obviously, to strive for promotion to the next stage. Although we have suffered defeats before, which has made the situation more difficult, tomorrow night we have a new opportunity to prove ourselves.

Hello. As a head coach, when you have to deal with so many off-field distractions...

Like what, for example?

Like Manchester City's current situation...

I don't need to deal with that. That's not something I need to handle.

Then if it were you, how would you deal with it?

That would be a long story. I think you'll have to attend some other press conferences in the coming days and ask someone else. I shouldn't even get involved in that topic; it's not even one percent of my job.

From a completely different angle. Welsh football also experienced glory in 2016, and this current team is hailed as Norway's golden generation. As a head coach, how much responsibility do you feel to lead this generation of players to success?

I don't think too much about the so-called golden generation. I think about how to build a good team on the pitch and establish good team cohesion off the pitch, and then we'll see the results. We all know that in international football, victory and defeat are often decided by the smallest margins. We have experienced this firsthand on our journey, both positive and negative lessons. Therefore, I believe that teams like Wales and Norway often have stronger squad depth in certain positions than others. In building a successful foundation, teams will always experience periods of ups and downs. But there's no doubt that we feel the team is in good shape right now. I think over the past two years we have played excellent football and have constantly improved. However, for smaller nations, injuries to key players or fluctuations in form can reverse the situation at any time. Many people now believe we are stronger than we were two or three years ago, and that's true.

Regarding Martin Ødegaard, will he be physically fit to play tomorrow?

I wish I could give a positive answer, but I can't say that now. However, I also can't say he definitely won't play, so anything is possible. He will probably undergo some tests in training today, and he has already traveled here with the team. If there were absolutely no hope of him playing, he clearly wouldn't be here.

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