Ole Gunnar Solskjaer goes up against his Norwegian counterpart Ståle Solbakken in the Europa League on Monday.
And it’s fair to say the respective Manchester United and FC Copenhagen managers know plenty about each other.
Solskjaer and Solbakken were part of the same Norway international set-up and clashed as players in the Tippeliga during the 1990s.
The pair both ended up moving to England – Solskjaer famously at United and Solbakken at Wimbledon.
Solskjaer was still playing trophy-winning football for United when Solbakken was forced to retire in 2001 after suffering a heart attack in training.
When Solskjaer himself eventually retired, his compatriot had already won two Danish Superliga titles as manager of Copenhagen, and Solskjaer would soon follow in that success as boss of Norwegian side Molde.
Now, neither man considers the other a particularly close friend, but they are acquaintances who have both successfully made the transition from player to manager on the elite European stage.
Being Norwegian, this is a small club and so understandably they keep in touch.
And that relationship eventually led to the treble-winner rocking up in Copenhagen on the eve of the Danish side’s Champions League last-16 clash with Chelsea in 2011.
When Solskjaer teamed up with FC Copenhagen
Solskjaer hadn’t even managed his first game at Molde when he visited Solbakken in the Danish capital that February.
Copenhagen had just qualified from a group involving Barcelona, Panathinaikos and Rubin Kazan to become the first Superliga side to reach the Champions League knockout stages.
The new Norwegian season had yet to start and Solskjaer was looking for further managerial experience – and so accompanied the FCK backroom staff before the match.
Man Utd have found their feet under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer – now time for a trophy | @PeteHall86 #mufc https://t.co/pWKp3NdQHl pic.twitter.com/uCkw1MJMl4
— i sport (@iPaperSport) August 10, 2020
Solskjaer certainly caught the media attention when he was spotted wearing club training gear as the team went through their pre-match paces the night before the game.
What’s more, the Norwegian was on hand to offer advice to his former international team-mate about Chelsea – but only a little.
“Ståle has invited me down here on a study trip, and I said thank you for that,” Solskjaer said at the time.
“Of course we have talked a bit about Chelsea, but Ståle does not need a lot of help.
“He has been looking at Chelsea for the last two months, so I wonder if he doesn’t know what it takes to beat them.”
In another interview he said: ”It’s never easy to play against FCK.
“It is important that they are connected as a team. They get a lot of counter-attacks against a team that is not in good shape (and) I have seen better Chelsea teams.”
Solskjaer knows about Solbakken
Chelsea went on to beat Copenhagen 2-0 on aggregate over the two-legged tie.
But for Solskjaer, who was part of the United XI under Sir Alex Ferguson that lost 1-0 to Copenhagen in Parken Stadium back in 2006, teaming up with Solbakken was part his development into the manager we see today.
He returned to Norway and claimed two titles with Molde, made an ill-fated switch to Cardiff in 2014 and then went back to his first club to continue his managerial education.
Now 47 and with a first full season of managerial experience at Old Trafford under his belt, Solskjaer will be aware of the preparation Solbakken has undertaken ahead of Monday’s game.
He’s seen first-hand how the FCK boss operates ahead of crunch Europa League and Champions League games.
These habits that haven’t changed over the two spells Solbakken has managed in the Danish capital.
Follow i sport on Facebook for more Manchester United news, interviews and features
More on Man Utd
- The making of Marcus Rashford: the Man Utd star who never forgot his roots
- New leader: How Fernandes made an instant impact – and lifted all those around him
- Why United are prepared to play the long-game in pursuit of Sancho
- Kevin Garside: Well done to Chadwick for reminding us all to be kind
- 5 players Man Utd could sign this summer
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3gLb7Jt
Post a Comment