Martin Odegaard and Erling Haaland’s leaked texts cause uproar as part of new scandal

Martin Odegaard and Erling Haaland are embroiled in a scandal that has hit the Norway national team after leaked private messages were published in a new book.

Despite boasting the Arsenal skipper and prolific Manchester City striker as part of their strongest XI, Norway have failed to qualify for a major tournament since 2000. However, it has been alleged that the team found an ‘ethically questionable loophole’ in their bid for Nations League success during the coronavirus pandemic.

A new book, ‘The Battle of the National Team’ has alleged that deliberate attempts to deceive Norwegian health authorities were made in November 2020. A chapter titled ‘The Doctor’s Lie’ explains that Norway’s plans were jeopardised after then-Galatasaray defender Omar Elabdellaoui tested positive for Covid-19.

Team doctor Asle B. Kjellsen is alleged to have allowed 19 Norweigan players, including Odegaard, to arrive at their game against Romania from abroad, rather than on the same flight from Oslo, after noticing that Norway’s laws did not apply to foreign athletes. This meant that former Real Madrid midfielder Odegaard travelled to the match from the Spanish capital, while ex-Borussia Dortmund forward Haaland flew from Germany.

Leaked group chat messages between the two players – that were included in the book and have since been published by NRK – show Haaland sending a screenshot of the Dagbladet homepage, with Norwegian outlet NRK questioning whether the squad would be able to travel. Odegaard replied with a message that included seven Santa Claus emojis.

It turned out not to be the ideal preparation or a surprise gift for the country, though, as Norway lost 3-0 to Romania before drawing with Austria in the following game. Responding to the allegations made in the book, Kjellsen told NRK: “Some may see me as a cynical doctor without morals after reading the book. I know that I was loyal to my patients, in this case the players of the national team.”

It was a controversial incident but caused consternation and uproar in the Norway squad, with some criticising the decision to publish private messages. “It’s clear that we don’t want things like this to leak out,” Genoa midfielder Morten Thorsby said. “I understand very well that people outside are interested in this, but it is something we should keep private, it is important that private messages between us remain in the group.”

Meanwhile, Odegaard is currently not with the Norway squad as he recovers from the ankle injury he sustained in the last international break. Odegaard, who made his international debut aged 15, has been making progress with his recovery and updated Arsenal fans in his programme column ahead of the win over Southampton last weekend.

“In the last week or so I’ve made really good progress,” Odegaard wrote. “I’m getting better and better by the day and feel it’s going well. When you feel like things are moving forward, it gives you motivation to do more and more and work harder.

“Hopefully, it won’t be much longer. I think we will know more as soon as I get out on the training pitches and we see how my ankle responds to that. At the moment it’s progressing well and it looks better than we were thinking, but we’ve still got to take every day as it comes.”