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INFECTED: Omar Elabdellaoui has tested positive for coronavirus. Photo: Bjørn S. Delebekk / VG
STORO (VG) National team player Omar Elabdellaoui has tested positive for the corona virus. This was announced by the Norwegian Football Association in a press release.
Omar Elabdellaoui, vice captain of the Norwegian men’s team, tested positive for covid-19. He is now quarantined at the player’s hotel. Today’s training has been canceled. The rest of the staff follow the infection control measures of the UEFA protocol and comply with the instructions of the local health authorities.
– The player who has tested positive is Omar Elabdellaoui. Omar first felt symptoms last night and has a headache, mild cough, and feels lethargic. Beyond this, he’s in a good mood. He is isolated from the rest of the team. NFF will hold a press conference this afternoon, NFF writes in a press release.
Elabdellaoui plays for Turkish club Galatasaray.
NFF is in dialogue with UEFA and local infection control authorities and is awaiting information on what will happen next.
– The player himself wants to notify his loved ones before they read the case in the media, so we will return with more information throughout the day, the press manager of the national team, Svein Graff, told VG, on Friday. At the time, they did not know which player had tested positive.
VG has been in contact with NFF’s director of communication and public relations, Gro Tvedt Anderssen, who refers to the press release.
Norway is scheduled to play Nations League away games against Romania (Sunday) and Austria (Wednesday). Norway trained at the Ullevaal Stadium on Thursday. Israel trained at the Ullevaal Stadium on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m.
IN QUARANTINE: Norwegian national team players are quarantined at the players’ hotel in Oslo. Photo: Bjørn Steinar Delebekk / VG
VG was in dialogue early on Friday with competition director Nils Fisketjønn. Then he did not want to answer questions about a possible case of infection in the Norwegian team and the consequences. VG has been unable to get a comment from the assistant coach of the national team, Per Joar Hansen.
On Wednesday, Norway’s planned international match against Israel was canceled following requests from health authorities. Infection had been detected in the Israeli troops.
After the cancellation of, the debate has developed. First, health director Bjørn Guldvog stated that it is now desirable to have stricter quarantine rules for athletes as well. Fisketjønn at NFF retaliated quickly, as did Odd’s boss, Einar Håndlykken. They believe that the rules will have too negative consequences and that soccer’s infection control regime has worked well.
On Thursday, Alf-Inge “Alfie” Haaland reached out and criticized both Guldvog and VG commentator Leif Welhaven after the cancellation.
The case is being updated.
