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Erling Haaland Norway 2024getty
Marko Brkic

"It is a disgrace" - Pundit takes aim at Manchester City ace Erling Haaland after Norway debacle against Austria

Erling Haaland has come under criticism in his home country of Norway for his behaviour following the defeat against Austria.

Erling Haaland did not show his best side during Norway's 1:5 drubbing in the Nations League against Austria.

The prolific striker failed to make much of an impact during the match and he then made headlines for all the wrong reasons after the final whistle.

After the match, the Manchester City superstar refused to answer questions from journalists and as a result, he is now facing strong criticism in his home country.

  • WHAT WAS SAID?

    "It's a disgrace. If there's someone I'd like to hear from after this humiliation, it's the captain. When you're the captain, you have a role that demands a bit more from you. Then you have to face the music after the game," said Norwegian TV expert Kristoffer Lokberg, who makes his living as a professional footballer with top-tier club Viking FK, in the newspaper Verdens Gang.

    However, Lökberg later tempered his angry speech a bit: "I have a lot of respect for Haaland, of course. He's always in the spotlight and has to meet many expectations, but when you wear the captain's armband, you should at least say a few words."

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  • Erling Haaland Norway 2024getty

    WHAT IS THE BACKGROUND?

    Norway suffered a significant 1:5 defeat against Austria on the fourth matchday of the Nations League in Group B3 this past Sunday.

    Not just Haaland, but the entire Norwegian national team delivered a poor performance. Accordingly, the reaction of the Norwegian press to the debacle was harsh.

    "Embarrassing, simply embarrassing!" wrote Verdens Gangin a commentary. According to Aftenposten , the defeat was even "a humiliation for the history books."

    However, that was not all. After the match, Haaland once again made headlines when he walked past journalists in the mixed zone without answering a single question.

  • WHAT ELSE WAS SAID?

    Haaland did not take the criticism lightly and quickly made an effort to limit the damage.

    "Sorry to everyone, that was not good enough from me. In November, we'll get six points!," the 24-year-old wrote in a story on social media.

    Team-mate Sander Berge also defended Haaland after the match, stating to Verdens Gang: "He has every right to. He is simply very disappointed at the moment. We, as a whole team, are responsible for the game."

  • Erling Haaland NorvegiaGetty Images

    WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

    In group B3, Norway are now level on points with Austria and Slovenia after the fourth matchday, having previously led the table as the only unbeaten team.
    In November, the final two group matches will take place against Slovenia (Nov 14) and Kazakhstan (Nov 17).