Norway's national football team was forced to switch hotels this week due to concerns about the location and conditions of their initial accommodation. The team had been staying at The Dalmar hotel, which is situated next to a six-lane highway and a large construction site, with the closest beach an hour's walk away.
Stale Solbakken, Norway's head coach, stated that the rooms were "cleared up quickly," but acknowledged that the hotel's location was an issue. Jesper Mathisen, a World Cup analyst for TV2, agreed that it was wrong of FIFA to allocate The Dalmar hotel to Norway, especially considering the importance of their upcoming match.
The team has since moved to the Four Seasons Fort Lauderdale, which is situated next to the beach. Truls Daehli, the head of Norway's World Cup delegation, praised FIFA for its quick response and understanding in facilitating the move. "We have managed to avoid bed sores, and we did not want to risk getting any of that during this period," he said.
Norway's captain, Martin Odegaard, also commented on the situation, stating that the team fixed the issues "to optimise and prepare ourselves as best as possible for a big match." The move comes as Norway prepares to play England in their World Cup quarter-final in Miami on Saturday.
