Norway manager pays tribute to Ancelotti ahead of Round of 16 meeting

[p]The video, published by the Norwegian football federation, featured [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/solbakken-stale/pxok8eTM/"]‌Solbakken[/a]'s stirring speech to his players after their 2-1 win over the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ivory-coast/G2FRjBgn/"]‌Ivory Coast[/a], which ended with the words: "[b]... and wait, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ancelotti-carlo/nZQG5IgJ/"]Carlo Ancelotti[/a], we ‌are coming for you![/b]".[/p][p]"It's as far from provoking as possible - he's ‌maybe the greatest coach in the history of European football together with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/guardiola-pep/hxNijWrJ/"]Guardiola[/a], Mourinho and one or two more from a historic perspective," Solbakken told reporters on ‌Wednesday.[/p][p]"[b]I have the greatest respect for him. I ⁠met him a few times with ‌FC Copenhagen when we played [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/chelsea/4fGZN2oK/"]Chelsea[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/real-madrid/W8mj7MDD/"]Real Madrid[/a] in the Champions League. ​He's a great guy, great sense of humour, and we have the greatest respect for him and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/brazil/I9l9aqLq/"]Brazil[/a] also as a ​country. So I think that they can see the funny side of it, it was not a very deep analysis[/b]."[/p][p]Solbakken was part of ⁠the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/norway/8rP6JO0H/"]Norway[/a] squad that ​[a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/brazil-I9l9aqLq/norway-8rP6JO0H/?mid=zojcP8cg"]beat Brazil in the World Cup group stage in 1998[/a], but he said that that was too long ago to have a bearing on Sunday's showdown.[/p][embed guid="91b830d6-c086-44dd-a54d-02cf9d78f8a5" url="https://x.com/nff_landslag/status/2072204348063437024" social-type="twitter" /][p]"[b]I think that Brazil are finding their feet, gradually getting better and ‌better and they have strong players in all positions. We're looking forward to the challenge[/b]," he said.[/p][p]"[b]Brazil are favourites, of course, and are also a great candidate to win the whole tournament. But now it's in our destiny that we're going to meet them, and then we have to play up to our very best.[/b]"[/p][p]Fuelled by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/haaland-erling/UmV9iQmE/"]Erling Haaland[/a]'s goals, Solbakken's side have won plaudits for getting out of their group and securing Norway's first win in a World Cup knockout game by ‌beating Ivory Coast, and they will prove to be a tough ​test for Ancelotti's men.[/p][p]"[b]Brazil are favourites, of course they are, but ‌we are hopeful that we will give them a match, and we are not playing the game for fun - we are playing to win the game and to go into the quarter-finals,[/b]" Solbakken said.[/p][p]"[b]We have great respect for what the coach there has done ⁠and what the team has ⁠done so far, but on ‌Sunday, everything can happen in the game.[/b]"[/p]