His heart stopped for 7 minutes and he was taken out of football, the story of the Norway coach

2026-06-26 08:01:00, Sport CNA

His heart stopped for 7 minutes and he was taken out of football, the story of

Stale Solbakken is one of the most special characters of the World Cup. The Norway coach is leading the national team to a successful tournament, but his personal story goes far beyond football and is connected to one of the most difficult moments an athlete can experience.

It all happened on April 24, 2001. At the time, Solbakken was a Copenhagen footballer and was taking part in a regular training session. During the activity, he suffered a heart attack. The situation was extremely critical, as his heart stopped beating for about seven to eight minutes. For a few moments, he was considered clinically dead.

The immediate response of the medical staff proved decisive. The club doctor, Frank Odgard, immediately began resuscitation procedures on the pitch. The intervention then continued during the ambulance transport to the hospital, where doctors managed to bring him back to life. Solbaken remained in a coma for more than a day, while examinations revealed that he was suffering from a previously undiagnosed congenital heart problem.

Years later, the Norwegian coach spoke about the experience, recalling the image of a light blue tunnel that he said remained indelible in his memory. However, the consequences of the incident were great. Heart problems forced him to give up playing football at the age of 33, ending his playing career prematurely.

But the end of his playing career turned into the beginning of a new era. Solbakken devoted himself to coaching and gradually became one of the most recognizable names in Scandinavian football. In charge of Copenhagen, he won eight championships, building a reputation as a successful and consistent coach.

The most important challenge came with the Norwegian national team. The goal was to return the team to the World Cup, an achievement that had been missing since 1998. After years of waiting, Norway secured participation in the 2026 tournament and has already managed to get past the group stage.

Victories over Iraq and Senegal have secured the Nordic team's qualification to the round of 32. The team is having a positive tournament and is considered one of the teams that has fulfilled its objectives at this stage of the competition.

Despite the results, Solbaken preferred to remain cautious in his statements. After the success against Senegal, he emphasized that Norway's journey is still ongoing and that the team still has a lot to improve before the upcoming challenges.

Today, 25 years after that dramatic episode in 2001, Solbaken is on the bench for Norway on the biggest stage of world football. From a moment when his life was in danger, he has managed to build a new career and lead a generation of footballers to a significant appearance at the World Cup. His journey remains one of the most remarkable stories of this tournament, linking a dramatic personal event with success at the highest level of international football.