Norway will start Egil Selvik in goal against Portugal on Sunday, with Stale Solbakken admitting he handled Örjan Nyland’s demotion badly. The national coach revealed the decision on television before speaking to the RB Leipzig goalkeeper himself.
Solbakken told TV2 that Selvik would replace Nyland for the Nations League match in Portugal, saying he had not informed anyone of the change. That included Nyland, who learned he would be on the bench through the broadcast.
The coach apologised at a media briefing on Friday, less than 12 hours after announcing the switch following Norway’s 2-1 defeat in Wales. “I should not have done that. I take responsibility for it,” Solbakken said.
Nyland accepted the decision well, Solbakken added. The 36-year-old was “grateful for the honesty” and had expected that he would not play all four matches during the international window.
The 79-cap goalkeeper had started the 3-2 win over Denmark, the 2-1 defeat in the first match against Portugal and the loss in Wales. He has made costly errors in recent outings, despite his past standing as Norway’s World Cup hero after a 2-1 last-16 win over Brazil.
Selvik gets his chance
Selvik is Brest’s regular goalkeeper in France and had already been told before the Wales game that he would face Portugal. “He deserves it,” Solbakken said.
The original plan had been for Selvik to play in Wales. Solbakken changed course after Nyland’s serious mistake in the first Portugal meeting, choosing to give the experienced keeper an immediate chance to respond.
There is still no fixed Norway number one. Solbakken said the hierarchy would remain dependent on performances. Nyland also needs competitive minutes at Leipzig, where he is currently behind Maarten Vandevoordt. His last competitive appearance for RB came in 2022-23, during his previous spell at the club, when he was also the deputy goalkeeper.
