Mathias Normann will no longer be invited to play for the Norwegian national team for the time being – because he is changing clubs within Russia.
Mathias Normann has played twelve times for the Norwegian national team, but will not make any more appearances for the time being. According to Norway’s football association, national coach Stale Solbakken informed the midfielder on Monday afternoon that he would not be considered for the next international matches at the end of September.
The reason: Normann had stated “that he is ready to sign with a new Russian club”. On Tuesday, the 26-year-old, who had just returned from a one-year loan spell at Norwich City to Russian first division side FK Rostov, moved to league rivals Dynamo Moscow on loan with an option to buy.
“In principle, it is not the federation’s task to comment on the club choice of national players, but we are now in an exceptional situation,” president Lise Klaveness is quoted as saying in her federation’s statement. “The whole of Norwegian and European football is united in putting pressure on Russia as a warring party, which has also been very active in using its positions of power in sport.”
All Russian teams are banned from international sports competitions, he said. “Stale and I agree that Normann cannot represent Norway if he now plays for a new Russian club,” Klaveness continued.
Normann, who made his debut for the national team in September 2019, last played under ex-Cologne man Solbakken in March. He had been part of the squad for the most recent internationals in June but had failed to make an appearance.
In a recent interview with “TV 2”, Normann described the imminent move to Moscow as “the best sporting opportunity I have”. Other options, such as a move to US Lecce, had fallen through. He condemned Russia’s war of aggression on Ukraine, but also stressed: “If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my career, it’s that you don’t mix politics and football. I go there to play football. “
