The coach of the Norwegian national team explained the absence of Holland in the crushing match against France

Norway head coach Stole Solbakken has commented on his controversial decision to make a large-scale rotation in the World Cup match against France. 10 players of the main team did not go on the field in Boston at once, including the main stars - Erling Holland and Martin Edegore. Having played as a reserve team, Despite the defeat, the team took second place in Group I and guaranteed a place in the 1/16 finals, where they will meet the Ivory Coast national team on Tuesday. The absence of leaders caused disappointment among the fans in the stadium. Fans who expected to see a bright confrontation between Manchester City forward Erling Holland and Frenchman Kylian Mbappe chanted: "We want Holland!" during the match. However, Solbakken did not apologize for his decision. According to him, the step was absolutely obvious and dictated by medical indicators, not tactical experiments. "It's simple. We took stock after the Senegal game and it turned out that five or six players were badly injured after 80 minutes of play. The whole defense and some midfielders were very exhausted. We also know that after Senegal we had the shortest recovery window before this game," Solbakken explained. The coach emphasized that the decision was made together with the medical staff, physiotherapists and the players themselves, who admitted that they were not physically ready to endure another intense match without rest. Solbakken admitted he understands the fans' feelings, but his priority remains Norway's long-term success at the tournament. "The only thing to consider is the fans. They would like to see Erling and Martin, but we didn't have much time to make a decision. Erling and Martin are team players; they know what's best for the team. Hopefully we can give the fans a few more good summer nights in the coming weeks." Finally, the coach emphasized the seriousness of the intentions of the Scandinavian national team at this world championship: "We want to stay here as long as possible, so it was an obvious decision," summed up the manager. Norway now have a few days to recover before the crucial round of 16 match against Côte d'Ivoire, where all key players are expected to be back on the field