Let me know
- Austria – Norway, at 21.00 Friday
BRIGHTON (Dagbladet): – This is the biggest match for Norway in a long time. Then we see this attitude. It’s embarrassing and pathetic.
This is how John Arne Riise put it on the BBC when he was an expert during the match between Norway and England on Monday.
The Avaldsnes coach did not put his fingers in between after the 8-0 loss. He was ringside at Falmer Stadium in Brighton and was shocked by the Norwegian performance.
Riise’s own player in Avaldsnes, Karina Sævik (26), started the match in midfield, but was taken off during the break.
– I was glad I started. But it did not go as I thought and hoped. It was a nightmare. There is not much more to say, Sævik tells Dagbladet.
After the match, she spoke to Riise on the sidelines. The experienced football profile let him know what he meant:
– He is my coach and follows me up. He did not say much about the team. It was mostly about me and my achievements.
– What was his analysis of you?
– It was about what I had done.
Regarding Riise’s message, they say:
– It was nice to get my thoughts aired a bit.
– What do you think about your own efforts?
– I did not get to do much, neither offensively nor defensively. Nothing offensive happened. This was where I hoped to be involved and contribute – and also work defensively. But they played mostly on the right side, ie our left side. That was where the job was defensive.
On the BBC, Riise said:
– I sat in the stands at 2-0 and said: “This can be ugly.” It was shocking to see how bad Norway was in the first place. Unbelievable.
Stay away
Sævik points out about the atmosphere in the wardrobe afterwards:
– People did not know what to say. I think everyone struggled to admit that we had shit out.
Austria is now waiting for Friday. There is a win or lose in the European Championships. Victory gives a place in the quarterfinals and new life in the championship.
Norway trained at the facility of the Premier League club Brighton on Wednesday.
– We must not underestimate Austria. The players in both Arsenal and Bayern Munich. You do not think of Austria as a good team. But if we are to beat them, we must perform, says Sævik.
EM TABLE
England | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 | – | 0 | 6 |
Austria | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | – | 1 | 3 |
Norway | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | – | 9 | 3 |
Northern Ireland | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | – | 6 | 0 |