Joel Halldorf

Beyond being a roller-coaster of a football match, this is one of the best scenes I saw yesterday after the game. I'm not sure if anyone else saw it. I don't know the purpose, but it's simply amazing and good for the game. You can share the reason if you know.

Martin Ødegaard on why Norway rested key players against France: 🗣️ “People think we rested our biggest players simply because we had already qualified. That's only part of the story. There were reasons behind that decision that the public doesn't know, and for now, they'll stay behind closed doors.” “The manager spoke to me personally before the match and explained everything. Once I heard the plan, I understood exactly why it had to be done. Sometimes the biggest decisions in football are made with the knockout rounds in mind, not the group stage.” “Everyone is trying to guess what we were thinking, but the truth is far more interesting than the rumours. We knew exactly what we were doing, and time will tell whether it was the right call.” “People can criticize us today, but if our plan works in the knockout rounds, they'll look back at this game very differently. Sometimes you have to sacrifice one battle to give yourself the best chance of winning the war.” “Let's just say... there was a bigger picture. The coach has his reasons, the players trust him completely, and I think a lot of people will understand once this tournament reaches its final stages.”