According to Norwegian media outlet Nettavisen, following Norway's 1-2 defeat to Portugal in the UEFA Nations League, head coach Ståle Solbakken publicly expressed his dissatisfaction with the congested fixture schedule. He revealed that some national team players had only six or seven days' rest after the World Cup before having to return to high-intensity matches, calling such a schedule "completely crazy".

In Sunday's match, Norway initially posed problems for Portugal, but as players' fitness declined, the team ultimately lost 1-2. After the match, Solbakken spoke with media in the press room at Porto's stadium. At that time, several Norwegian stars, including Haaland, hurried off the pitch, preparing to board private jets to make the most of their precious rest days.

Commenting on his team's performance, Solbakken said: "We were tired in the second half, and there are many reasons for that; that's just how it is. But the match load probably really was too much."

Haaland was one of the players affected by the congested schedule. He played approximately 65 minutes in this match before being substituted. Solbakken revealed that he had agreed with Haaland before the match that he would stay on the pitch as long as he felt he could contribute to the team.

Solbakken stated: "I'm very pleased that he gritted his teeth today and played 60 minutes of high-quality football. He's one of the players who has to play the most because his club competes in all competitions, and he's absolutely crucial to our team."

During this international break, Norway played four matches in a short space of time, a schedule even more demanding than typical international breaks. Meanwhile, many players also had to balance matches in the domestic league and the Champions League, enduring enormous physical pressure.

On this issue, Solbakken commented: "But there's nothing we can do about it. Whatever matches are scheduled, we'll play them, it's just that this process is really very difficult. We have to accept that. Now the players need some rest time, and then they'll immediately return to their clubs to continue their daily match schedule."

Solbakken believes that such a congested schedule is a major drain on players and benefits stronger football nations with deeper squads who can rotate more extensively.

He said: "This is particularly harsh for players in the Champions League who have very little rest, especially those who haven't had any break at all this summer. Such short breaks, then immediately diving into high-intensity competitions, followed by this international break. This isn't an excuse, but the whole thing is crazy. This is even more true for smaller national teams."

After the match, Haaland and several other players did not speak to media; instead, they went straight by minibus to the airport.

When Nettavisen asked Solbakken whether constantly playing multiple matches had led to discontent among national team players, he denied this but emphasised that players wanting to make the most of their limited rest time was completely understandable.

Solbakken explained: "You have to remember that teams that went far in the World Cup have many players who barely got any rest. For instance, my team; some players only had six or seven days off. You can imagine what it feels like if you only get six or seven days' rest from your job each year, let alone a job that demands as much physically as theirs does. Then they immediately start a new season, followed by a congested fixture schedule like this mini-tournament, and that's an enormous burden on the body."

With the away defeat to Portugal, Norway suffered their third consecutive loss in this UEFA Nations League campaign and are currently bottom of the table. Next month, Norway will host Wales at Ullevaal Stadium, followed by an away trip to Parken Stadium in Copenhagen to face Denmark.

Despite losing three of four matches during this break, Solbakken remains hopeful of finding positives in his team's performance.

He stated: "For me, it's important not to get discouraged about this. We're heading in the right direction, and our table destiny is still in our hands. We've played two very good matches, and today's match was good too; we only made a mistake against Wales, and we have to accept that."

"The last match was in Portugal, which of course was very physically demanding. But I think the lads gave their all today. Many players have improved significantly, and there are many positive aspects to recognise," Solbakken concluded.

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