On 28 September, Norwegian media outlet VG reported that Ståle Solbakken, manager of the Norwegian national team, strongly criticized NRK commentator Jan-Petter Saltvedt in a recent interview, following Saltvedt's comments about Haaland's absence from a press conference.

In comments published on Saturday, Saltvedt implied that Haaland's absence from the press conference was due to pressure from Manchester City. This came shortly after Manchester City was reported to have been found guilty of 114 out of 115 Premier League financial charges.

Saltvedt wrote, "No one will believe that Manchester City did not ask the Norwegian Football Federation to protect their star striker, keeping him away from questions that should have been asked."

Solbakken then firmly denied the claim.

At a press conference on Monday following Norway's 1-2 loss to Portugal, Solbakken told Dagbladet: "I can say with a clear conscience that Saltvedt has talked complete nonsense from start to finish."

Solbakken continued, "Since Erling prepared to move from Dortmund to Manchester City, I have not discussed any media-related matters with Manchester City again. That was the last time I communicated with Manchester City about media issues."

The Norwegian national team manager did not stop there.

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

"But I do not want to accept lies like this from one of Norway's biggest media outlets... something said by someone sitting behind a desk at NRK, thinking they are so clever."

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

The incident began when Haaland was originally scheduled to attend the national team's routine pre-match press conference earlier this week, but the arrangement suddenly changed.

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

Manchester City Case Timeline

In February 2023, the Premier League charged Manchester City with 115 breaches of financial rules, including failure to cooperate with an investigation.

According to The Athletic, Manchester City was reported to have been found guilty of 114 out of 115 charges. This information came from anonymous sources familiar with the case.

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

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

The charges involve various issues, 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 stated that the case proceedings are ongoing, with key parts not yet resolved, and that the case is subject to strict confidentiality rules.

Potential sanctions range from warnings and fines to points deductions and even expulsion from the Premier League.

Solbakken Explains His Reasoning

Solbakken explained that his decision to exempt Haaland from the press conference was his own.

"This was a decision I made without informing Erling. I simply told him: 'You don't need to attend. If you want to leave, go ahead. But in my opinion, you are excused from attending,'" Solbakken said.

When asked about Solbakken's comments, Saltvedt responded to VG via text message. He emphasized that he did not watch the press conference, but regarding Solbakken's harsh response, he stated:

"That's his job, so of course he can do it."

Norway will play its next Nations League match on Thursday, an away fixture against Wales.

The biggest question now is whether Norwegian captain Martin Ødegaard will be available. He was injured and left the field after a hard tackle from Bernardo Silva.

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

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

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