HAPPY AFTER NEW MARKING: Norway’s men’s national team manager Ståle Solbakken liked the women’s initiative before the match against Belgium. Photo: STEVO VASILJEVIC / X01084
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Norway’s men’s national team manager Ståle Solbakken believes the women’s human rights marking before Thursday’s international match is a sign of solidarity in the football association.
Less than 50 minutes ago
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Ahead of the national team’s first match in 2021 against Belgium, the Norwegian players held up their hands with the writing «Human Rights». Open hand is an international symbol of human rights.
– It has been a hot question in football. Even though this applies to a championship on the men’s side, we wanted to show our support for human rights, but also for the celebration that the men did, says the women’s national team manager Martin Sjögren to VG.
—-HUMAN RIGHTS: The eleven Norwegian players showed one letter each which together meant «HUMAN RIGHTS». Photo: LUDVIG THUNMAN / BILDBYRÅN
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Sjögren gives the players the credit for the selection.
– It comes from the players. We have had the question up, and discussed a bit. We have given the responsibility to the players, and asked if they would make a selection or not. It was a group of people who had a desire to make a selection, and there was never any discussion in another direction, says the Swede.
Guro Reiten, who had a beautiful free kick in 2-0 match against Belgium on Thursday, are happy with the selection they got.
– We wanted to show that we stand together, with both the association and the men’s national team, says Guro Reiten to VG.
– We believe that no one should sacrifice their lives for the construction of football stadiums. In the end, FIFA can not ignore it, and we want to shed light on it, says the Chelsea player.
Ståle Solbakken appreciates the women’s national team’s marking.
– It only shows solidarity within the NFF, says the men’s national team manager Ståle Solbakken to VG.
– It was a nice marking, and a nice follow-up. It just shows that it is an international matter. It is a very good signal externally also to those it is aimed at, says the national team manager.
The women’s marking follows up the men’s markings through the World Cup qualifiers in March where Norway played against Gibraltar, Turkey and Montenegro. Other countries such as Germany, Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands also did as Ståle Solbakken’s crew.
The celebration took place after several human rights violations were revealed at the host nation for the Men’s World Cup in 2022, Qatar.
Norway meets Germany in their second private international match of the year on Tuesday.
– It will be a completely different match (than against Belgium). We meet one of the world’s best football teams, and will not have as much time with the ball. There will be longer periods in defense, we must also be able to have longer sequences in attack, says Sjögren.
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