Norway furious as Scotland cancel pre-World Cup friendly; SFA defends decision

Scotland's World Cup preparations were disrupted after a behind-closed-doors friendly against Norway was cancelled at the eleventh hour. The decision left Scandinavian officials fuming and prompted sharp criticism of Steve Clarke and the Scottish FA. Norway head coach Stale Solbakken said he was particularly aggrieved that Clarke had not phoned him directly, suggesting a "gentlemen's agreement" had been broken.

"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. I don't think the injuries they're blaming came from the last training session. That's not the case.

It's disappointing. It's unprofessional. But we have to live with that. That's why we adjusted a bit in the game," he said. The Scottish FA defended its handling, saying the choice was made on player welfare after a series of minor injuries following their 4-0 victory over Bolivia.

Scotland

scotland, norway, steve clarke, scottish fa, stale solbakken, world cup, friendly cancelled, behind-closed-doors, player welfare, bolivia