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The Norwegian Football Association (NFF) has decided that the next Nations League matches will be played, but not everyone can travel.
The coronavirus has created problems for the Norwegian A team this week. On Wednesday, the NFF decided to cancel the private match against Israel at the Ullevaal Stadium at the request of the Norwegian health authorities.
On Friday, news came that Vice Captain Omar Elabdellaoui had tested positive for Covid-19.
Therefore, there was uncertainty as to whether Norway could play the next Nations League matches against Romania and Austria.
In a press release late Friday night, the NFF claims that they have seen different ways of conducting the games.
Elite Series players must stay home
The conclusion has been that Norway will play the matches, but that Norwegian club players will not join Bucharest and Vienna.
– This is a demanding situation with many dilemmas. We do not want to contest the exception we have received for inbound quarantine. Therefore, we intend to leave players who play for Norwegian clubs in quarantine from infection in Norway, says soccer president Terje Svendsen.
– We do this to prevent the spread of infection in Norwegian society. While we assess the situation, Norwegian players living abroad may travel outside the country because they will not return to Norway, explains the football president.
The changes mean that André Hansen (RBK), Sondre Rossbach (Odd), Marius Lode (Bodø / Glimt), Patrick Berg (Bodø / Glimt) and Markus Henriksen (RBK) must now remain at home in Norway.
Only one goalkeeper left
With Hansen and Rossbach out of the Norwegian squad, the national team coach Lars Lagerbäck currently only has one goalkeeper to take off.
Rune Jarstein, who normally plays for Hertha Berlin, is currently the only goalkeeper allowed to travel to Romania.
Neither goalkeeping coach Frode Grodås nor assistant coach Per Joarh Hansen has so far not responded to Nettavisen’s question about whether they will bring in an additional goalkeeper for upcoming matches.
However, the press director Svein Graff writes in an SMS to Nettavisen that “they are working on it”.
The Norwegian squad travels to Romania already on Saturday.
– Important matches
Martin Ødegaard and Stefan Johansen are on the captain’s team of the national team.
They say in a statement that the upcoming Nations League matches mean a lot to them from a sporting point of view.
– If we don’t line up teams, it means we lose two games. That means a missed opportunity to qualify for the World Cup. Of course, we are concerned about the increasing contagion situation in society. That is why we do everything possible in our daily lives not to expose others to risks. As footballers, we have lived in quarantine for six months. We do what we can to keep football, say Johansen and Ødegaard.
Norway faces Romania in Bucharest on Sunday, while on Wednesday they expect a new away game against Austria in Vienna.
NFF declares that it has been in contact with the Romanian Football Association, which welcomes the Norwegian team.
They also write in the press release that no one else on the team has been diagnosed with the infection, except Elabdellaoui.
The equipment was tested no later than Friday and all 33 test results were negative.
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