Erling Haaland will not speak to the press for Norway this weekend, with head coach Stale Solbakken confirming the striker is concentrating on his game after Manchester City were found guilty on all but one of the 115 Premier League charges.
Haaland joined his international team-mates after scoring twice in Norway's 3-2 Nations League win over Denmark on Thursday. However, the 26-year-old will miss the pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday's game against Portugal, with the verdict having landed on Saturday.
Solbakken explains Haaland absence
Solbakken said the decision was made to give Haaland the best possible conditions to focus on the match, rather than the outside noise regarding Manchester City's guilty verdict. "Of course, it is because we want to concentrate and give him the best possible conditions to concentrate on the match. You all know what the topic has been for the last 24 hours," he said.
"It has nothing to do with the Nations League and what we are going to do. A good example of that was the press conference Rodri had yesterday," he added. "Therefore, I think it is timely that he concentrates on what he should do, and that is to score goals for Norway. And I think we all agree that that is the most important thing."
Rodri was peppered with questions regarding the guilty verdict during Spain's pre-match press conference on Friday evening, to the point where the team's player representative cut short the meeting altogether.
Chairman issues open letter to fans
Solbakken also noted that he was not the person who made the decision regarding Haaland's absence, that the centre-forward should be free to start against Portugal on Sunday evening, and that "it's going well" for the talent within the Norway camp.
Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak released an open letter to fans on Saturday afternoon, highlighting how the club will continue to assert their innocence, as they have consistently done. The club are also expected to appeal Friday's verdict.
His letter read: "I have been part of this Club for 18 years. I have had the privilege to stand with you in the Etihad, at Wembley, and in Istanbul. This Club matters to me, and you have shown and told me – time and time again - how much Manchester City matters to you. This is why I am writing to you today."
"Following Friday’s media reporting, many of you will have spent your evening answering questions and responding to messages from friends, family and colleagues. So have I. Here’s what I said to my family: The Premier League process still has a long way to run, and our confidence and intent in proving the Club’s innocence is just as strong as when this began."
"There are so many things that I would like to be able to share with you to help you understand why we feel so confident in our position. But the strict confidentiality of the legal process and our determination to respect it means I cannot do that at the moment. Even this letter underwent several legal checks to make sure it complies."
"I ask you to please carefully read the statement below, which we gave on Friday, and the statement we issued in February 2023 (also below). Every word matters and holds true."
"While some people have been quick to reach their own conclusions, and there is so much noise swirling around us, nothing has changed. We have faced challenges together before and have prevailed. There remain many who want to undermine the momentum of our Club. We will not give them that opportunity."
"We have some exciting moments to look forward to after this international break. We travel to Anfield in a fortnight, and then host Paris St Germain in the Champions League back at Etihad Stadium - moments that give us an opportunity to celebrate the strength of the Manchester City family. Thank you, as always, for your constant support."
