Norway manager Starr Solbakken has spoken out about Jude Bellingham’s controversial equalizer against England, insisting it was “very obvious” the ball hit the overhead camera cables in front of the goal. The incident occurred at the end of the first half of the year in Norway fifa world cup In the quarter-final defeat, goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland’s goal kick appeared to hit the camera wires hanging above the pitch. England quickly regained possession and Bellingham leveled the score. Niland and Solbakken immediately appealed to the referee, believing that the game should be stopped. However, the protest was dismissed and the goal remained. Television replays appeared to show the ball making contact with the cable. However, FIFA later insisted there was “no evidence that the ball came into contact with overhead wires and altered its movement.” Explaining the referee’s reaction, Solbakken said the referee was unaware of any contact. “He said he didn’t see it himself and had no information that it actually happened.” “Since FIFA said there was no touch, there’s nothing I can do about it. But the ball fell directly in front of the bench, so that’s what happened. Everyone saw what happened. I think it’s obvious that it did happen. It was a strange thing.” According to the rules of the game, if the referee or match official determines that the ball has contacted an external object, such as an overhead cable, play shall be stopped and restarted with a dropped ball. With the referee not detecting any contact, play continued uninterrupted and England scored with a goal. Despite Solbakken’s disappointment, he refused to talk too much about the incident, instead choosing to praise his players for their efforts throughout the game. “I could sit here and cry but I don’t want to. We did everything we could – the players performed brilliantly throughout the game. Well, it’s strange but that’s part of football and why it’s the best sport in the world, because something like this can happen. We have to accept it,” he said. The alleged contact caused confusion among the players at a crucial moment, with the Norwegian coach sensing the unexpected trajectory of the ball. “It’s unfortunate for us. The ball fell straight out of the sky, so it went in this direction. It turned into a misunderstanding between our players and it was a bad moment for us. There was nothing we could do about it. I don’t think we will play the game again, that’s what happened,” he added. After overtime, England finally won 2-1, Bellingham scored twice, sending the Three Lions to the World Cup semi-finals.
