Norway head coach breaks down in tears during interview after England World Cup exit

Norway head coach breaks down in tears during interview after England World Cup exit Stale Solbakken was speaking after his Norway side were beaten 2-1 by England in the quarter-finals of the World Cup at Miami Stadium on Saturday night Norway boss Stale Solbakken broke down in tears following his side’s World Cup defeat to England. Jude Bellingham’s brace secured a 2-1 quarter-final victory for Thomas Tuchel’s side that went to extra-time. Andreas Schjelderup had given Norway the lead before Real Madrid star Bellingham restored parity two minutes into first-half stoppage time. The midfielder then scored the game’s winning goal three minutes into extra-time. And a devastated Solbakken broke down in tears during an interview with Norwegian broadcaster NRK. He said: "I feel tremendous sadness for the boys; this is football at its highest level, giving you the most beautiful and harshest moments depending on which side you're on. "The truth is we were on the lucky and fortunate side against Brazil, but today we weren't; after a tough first 20 minutes in the match, we delivered a heroic performance in every possible way and I can't blame the players or ask more of them than what they gave." Solbakken also believes the overhead wires deserve an assist for England’s equaliser as the ball dropped down “straight from heaven” despite FIFA’s ball sensor showing no contact. The ball appeared to hit one of the overhead TV cables, but FIFA said the chip in the ball did not record anything. A statement from the governing body 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.” However, Solbakken believes: “That was unlucky for us. The ball fell straight down from the sky, so it changed its direction. “It became a misunderstanding among our players and it was in a bad moment for us, but we can’t do anything about that. I don’t think we will play the game again, so that’s how it is.” Te added: “I can’t say anything about that because FIFA,” he said. "If there’s no been no sound or there has been no (reading) in the chip, what can I say against that? “But the ball drops down straight from heaven says everyone, including Orjan, who is the goalie, including the guy who is going to receive the ball. “I saw another way just then, so I wonder also what happened. I think it’s pretty clear that it did and it was a strange thing.” Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Shoppers can now upgrade to the Sky smart TV that's 'designed for football' from £6 per month when taken alongside a Sky TV and Netflix package.