Footballer sent home for sleeping too long

[Kaizero]

http://www.vg.no/pub/vgart.hbs?artid=528771

 

Seeing how the article is in Norwegian and I'm bored, I've translated it.

 

Steffen Iversen sent home from International camp.

 

ULLEVAAL STADION (VG Nett) Veteran forward Steffen Iversen didn't make the national team's meating at noon. Now he has to miss the next national fixture.

 

- He slept in for a meeting we had, and we have sent him home because he didn't meet at the correct time. This is a consequence of everything we went through last time. You have to know the watch if you want to play for your country, Manager Åge Hareide says.

 

According to the Manager the player himself didn't create any fuzz over what happened.

 

- We have been through the rules, and everyone agrees that we should meet at the correct time. Accidents may happen, and we can sleep in. But when I've said we have to follow the rules, we have to do that. If not it will undermine my authority the Manager says.

Landslaget er samlet for å forberede seg til landslagets kamp mot Irland på Ullevaal førstkommende onsdag. Sjefen ønsker ikke å kommentere hvor mye for sent Iversen kom.

 

- I will not get angry, I am too old for that. I am just dissapointed. I use time to prepare myself, and bring with me the players who are good enough. But messing around can destroy. If you mess around outside the pitch, you can mess around on it. We need players who are ready to play, says Hareide.

 

The Manager says he does not have anything against Iversen, but that he needs to state an example.

 

- Steffen is a wonderfully nice lad. I have known him almost since he was born. This is about having to be on time, says Hareide.

 

Silent players.

 

The other players in the Norway squad VG Nett have spoken with does not want to talk about what has happened to the experience team-mate.

 

- I will not say anything about this. It will just be guessing, and it's not certain Steffen would like that, Daniel Fredheim Holm tells VG Nett.

 

John Arne Riise does not wish to make comments about the case either.

 

- I know to little to comment. You have to ask Åge about this, he says.

 

Now, I know this is not NUFC related, or even England related. But it still makes for a good question for debate. Should national managers, or even club managers, send home players who misbehave, or even just put them out of the starting team. Even if it's not something more major than missing a meeting?

 

[Newcastle Fan]

Poor Iversen, always thought he was one of their best players

[M4]

For over sleeping is a bit harsh... especially if it's not a regular occurrence.

[Ronaldo]

same thing happened to Babel with the dutch squad did it not?

 

still, apparently that was a regular occurrence

[Kaizero]

Apparently he had been spotted out on the town the night before, if that makes a difference or not.

 

Personally I think it's ridiculous to send home a player for something like that, rules or no rules, if it's a first time offense. I mean, why punish the nation's chances just 'cause a player slept in for something that was not even a training session? Would he have been sent home had it not been a friendly but a WC or EC match or important qualifier? I think not.