FIFA has faced criticism in Norway after the national team was forced to swap hotels just days before their World Cup quarter-final against England. The Norwegian team landed in Miami on Monday afternoon and were given a police escort to The Dalmar hotel in Fort Lauderdale. But after spending just one night in the accommodation arranged by FIFA, Norway quickly moved three miles away to the Four Seasons Fort Lauderdale.
Room conditions spark outrage
According to Norwegian broadcaster NRK, several of the rooms initially assigned to the players were either smoky, mouldy or poorly cleaned. Norway head coach Stale Solbakken insisted the rooms were 'cleared up quickly,' but conceded that the location of the hotel was an issue, as it is situated next to a six-lane highway and a large construction site, while a walk to the closest beach was an hour away.
TV2's World Cup analyst Jesper Mathisen told Nettavisen: 'Yes, it is [wrong]. And as Stale Solbakken says, it is certainly possible to survive in that hotel but now they are going to play the most important match in Norwegian football history and then it is completely understandable that they want to stay in the best possible hotel, and that they want to get margins where they can. Then there is a risk of both little sleep and certainly also a risk of infection.'
FIFA praised for quick response
Despite the anger in Norway, the head of the national team's World Cup delegation, Truls Daehli, praised FIFA for its quick response. 'There were things where we stayed first that we would have liked to have thought were different,' Daehli told TV2. 'We eventually decided to take action, because now we are in week six and will be staying here for a whole week. And the match we are going to play now is the biggest match we have ever played.'
Daehli added: 'Now we have managed to avoid bed sores, and we did not want to risk getting any of that during this period. That is why we made a change. We have been met with good understanding from FIFA, who have moved their package to the new hotel. They [FIFA] pay for 50 rooms, that they pay for our security and transportation. We have to make a small adjustment, because this hotel costs more. But we are incredibly satisfied with the way things have been responded to here.'
Captain Odegaard speaks out
Norway captain Martin Odegaard said: 'That there were some things that could have been better, then we fixed it really just to optimise and prepare ourselves as best as possible for a big match.' Last week, Argentina's players were based at The Dalmar before their last-32 game against Cape Verde in Miami but did not register any complaints during their stay. Norway play England at the Miami Stadium at 10pm BST on Saturday.
