Martin Odegaard has shared his candid thoughts on the rough challenge by Rodri, which resulted in a denied penalty for Norway during their match against Spain.
As Odegaard unleashed a shot, he was brought down by Rodri in the penalty area, leaving Norwegian fans furious over the missed opportunity.
However, Arsenal supporters watching the game would also have been concerned about their captain’s safety, given that the tackle came from a Manchester City player.
VIDEO: Rodri’s strong tackle on Odegaard
A horrible foul from Rodri on captain Ø
by u/notknown286337 in Gunners
Rodri didn’t hold back on Martin Odegaard in this challenge 😳 pic.twitter.com/uxDHAgRTlf
— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) March 26, 2023
While it’s unlikely that Rodri intended to cause harm, there’s no denying that his poorly timed-tackle put Odegaard’s safety at risk.
This incident left Arsenal fans displeased, as they watched their captain face a potentially dangerous situation.
Fortunately, Odegaard was able to recover quickly after his penalty appeals were dismissed and played the full 90 minutes, suggesting that he was unscathed by Rodri’s reckless challenge.
However, this offered little solace to Norway, who suffered a 3-0 defeat in their European Championship qualifier without the services of Erling Haaland, who was absent due to an injury.
Despite a first-half goal from Dani Olmo and a late brace by substitute Joselu, Spain secured a comfortable victory.
Nevertheless, Norway continued to question the referee’s decision not to award them a penalty after the match.
Odegaard responds to Rodri’s tackle
During his post-match interview, Odegaard was still thinking about the controversial incident involving Rodri’s tackle.
When asked about the challenge and after reviewing it, Odegaard refrained from directly criticizing the officials, but his comments suggested that he was less than satisfied with their decision.
“I’m pretty sure I should have had a penalty. He’s coming with his studs right on my ankle,” Odegaard toldTV2.
“But I’m sure I’ll get punished [if I say anymore]. I don’t bother saying anything else about the referee. It’s better not to say anything.”
Odegaard’s manager, Stale Solbakken, also couldn’t believe the decision from French referee Benoit Bastien.
“He [Odegaard] finishes the shot and you can’t [foul him after]. If I knock someone down after the ball is gone, then it’s a penalty. I get a little bored with this.
While the decision didn’t decide the match, it played a huge role in the outcome.
Odegaard: Norway wasn’t clinical enough
But Odegaard admitted his side simply wasn’t clinical enough.
“We kept the ball and tried to play out from the back,” Odegaard said.
“We created some great chances that we have to put away. We didn’t, and they get goals out of nowhere.
“Then it becomes a slightly uglier scoreline than it felt. We did a lot of good things, but we were not sharp enough in front of the goal.”