Norway manager Stale Solbakken has accused FIFA of getting it wrong after England's controversial equalizer in their World Cup quarter-final clash. The incident occurred just before half-time when Jude Bellingham levelled the score, but replays suggested the ball may have struck the overhead spidercam cables in the build-up.
Solbakken's Post-Match Outburst
Speaking after the match, Solbakken said: "Everyone saw what happened. The ball fell straight down, just in front of the bench … so it did touch the cable. There has been nothing in the chip, what can I say against that? But the ball drops down straight from heaven… So pretty clear that it hit it, it was a strange thing." The Norwegian boss pointed the finger squarely at FIFA, insisting the goal should have been disallowed.
FIFA's Investigation and Statement
FIFA issued a statement saying they had investigated the incident but found no wrongdoing. The statement read: "Before England's goal in minute 45+2 against Norway, the sensor in the Connected Ball showed no peak in the 'heartbeat of the ball' when in the air, and therefore no evidence that the ball touched the overhead wire and changed the movement of the ball." Television replays, however, showed a slight deviation from the ball, which would typically be grounds for the goal being ruled out.
Further Controversy in the Second Half
Norway were left fuming again in the second half when a goal of their own was disallowed. Erling Haaland was adjudged to have pushed Elliot Anderson to the ground in the build-up, leading to the goal being chalked off. Bellingham went on to be the match-winner for England, scoring in extra time to send the Three Lions through to the semi-finals.
Tuchel's Assessment
Despite the win, England manager Thomas Tuchel was not impressed with his team's performance. He told ITV: "I didn't speak about suffering, never talked about suffering. We made life very difficult for ourselves. The result is fantastic, we are in the last four, but not happy with the performance... in every sense. The commitment is there, but we made life very difficult for ourselves. Lots of technical mistakes. Not repetitive enough. We were lucky today."
