As part of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, Norway was placed in the same group as Israel. A situation that the president of the Norwegian Federation deplores.
Lise Klaveness, president of the Norwegian Football Association, would have liked another draw. While Erling Haaland's teammates were placed in the same group as Israel for qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, the boss of Norwegian football was moved by the situation, in a context of conflict in the Middle East .
“It is also difficult for us beyond the purely sporting. None of us can have an indifferent attitude in the face of the disproportionate attacks to which Israel has subjected the civilian population of Gaza over time,” indicated the president of the Norwegian Federation to NRK, the country's main television channel.
“We are also closer to the region and the Palestinian Football Federation than most other European associations as for over 10 years we have been working on the ground to train football coaches and create football activities for children in schools and refugee camps,” added Lise Klaveness.
In France, a meeting which also caused a lot of talk
The president of the Federation specifies that the body “stands alongside the Norwegian government in its demand for an immediate end to the disproportionate attacks against innocent civilians in Gaza”.
The first leg between Norway and Israel is scheduled for March 25 on neutral ground. The return will take place on June 11 in Oslo, the Norwegian capital.
In France, the League of Nations meeting between the Blues and the Israeli selection, on November 14 (0-0), also caused a certain stir. While activists had notably requested the cancellation of the meeting, it was ultimately held in a very tense security context at the Stade de France, which had also recorded the lowest attendance in its history.
France
