Aursnes on Norway return: In my first year at Benfica... | OneFootball

Fredrik Aursnes is back in the Norwegian national team, just over four months before the World Cup. The 30-year-old player, who had retired from the national team almost two years ago, now felt the need to explain his decision, admitting some discomfort with the situation.

"I feel I owe an explanation to the Norwegian people, I know there will be reactions. Therefore, I want to explain a bit of my point of view", he stated in an interview with Norway's TV2, acknowledging that he is in a difficult position by now being considered for the World Cup, when he did not help achieve that goal.

"In a way, I don't [deserve to go to the World Cup], because I didn't contribute at all to this. Everyone who participated did a fantastic job and I was not part of it. So, I have a bit of a bad feeling. I feel it's a bit wrong not to participate in the qualification and then arrive at a set table to go to the World Cup. Therefore, it was very difficult for me", he revealed.

The decision to step away from the national team in 2024 was motivated by physical and mental exhaustion, claimed the number 8. "It was my first year at Benfica and many things were new to me. I had never played so much before and it took me some time to get used to that daily rhythm of life", the midfielder recalled.

Now, the situation is different. "I am more accustomed to this routine, I have regained my energy and started to miss the training camps and games for Norway", he explained. Aursnes admits that the opportunity to play in a World Cup, something that "maybe only happens once in a lifetime", was a decisive factor, believing that he would regret "for the rest of his life" if he did not seize the opportunity.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.