Norway coach calls Scotland boss Clarke unprofessional over cancelled friendly
5 reported
A planned training-ground friendly between Scotland and Norway in North Carolina was cancelled, leading Norway head coach Stale Solbakken to call Scotland counterpart Steve Clarke “unprofessional.” The game was scheduled for Monday but called off on Sunday due to injuries in the Scotland camp, according to the Norwegian Football Federation. Clarke confirmed to BBC Scotland that the decision was made because of “one or two niggles” and that the risk was not worth it. Solbakken, speaking after Norway’s 1-1 draw with Morocco, said it was “surprising” and “unprofessional” that Clarke did not call him directly. The Scottish FA responded that the game was arranged between team managers, not head coaches, and that they alerted Norway’s team manager as soon as possible. Norway’s team manager Brede Hangeland said the closed-doors friendly had been a key part of their World Cup preparations for months and called the cancellation “embarrassing.”
What’s reported
The training-ground friendly was planned for Monday in North Carolina but cancelled on Sunday.
Scotland head coach Steve Clarke said the cancellation was due to “one or two niggles” and not worth the risk.
Norway head coach Stale Solbakken called the cancellation “unprofessional” and said Clarke did not call him directly.
The Scottish FA said the game was arranged between team managers, not head coaches, and that they alerted Norway’s team manager as soon as possible.
Norway’s team manager Brede Hangeland said they had based World Cup preparations on the friendly for months and called the cancellation “embarrassing.”
Key figures
Steve Clarke, Scotland head coach
Stale Solbakken, Norway head coach
Brede Hangeland, Norway team manager
Sources: BBC News
