Norway boss labels Scotland's Clarke 'unprofessional' ahead of World Cup

Norway manager Stale Solbakken has publicly branded his Scotland counterpart Steve Clarke 'unprofessional' following the late cancellation of a training-ground friendly. The match had been arranged as part of both teams' preparations for the 2026 World Cup.

With both squads currently based in North Carolina, the game was scheduled for Monday. However, the Norwegian Football Federation was informed of the cancellation on Sunday. Clarke defended the decision, citing minor injuries within his squad and stating it was not worth the risk to proceed with the training match.

It is unprofessional of Scotland. It is unprofessional that the coach has not called me, that they use the team manager and call and say it after we have finished training. Stale Solbakken

Solbakken expressed his frustration, questioning the timing of the injuries and describing the situation as 'disappointing'. Brede Hangeland, the Norway team manager, also criticised the decision, stating that the preparations had been built around this fixture for months and that the sudden cancellation was 'embarrassing'.

Scotland recently completed their public preparation schedule with a 4-0 win against Bolivia, while Norway drew 1-1 with Morocco. Both teams are now focused on their upcoming tournament openers, with Scotland set to face Haiti and Norway taking on Iraq.