Andreas Schjelderup was advised to leave Benfica | OneFootball

Stale Solbakken, Norway’s national team coach, revealed that he advised Andreas Schjelderup to leave Benfica due to his lack of playing time. The coach explained that the winger’s situation was far from ideal, but that everything eventually changed thanks to the player’s performances over the course of the season.

"In January we talked about the fact that he had to change clubs because his playing time was minimal," he said on NRK’s 'Vamos ao Mundial' programme. However, the national team coach stressed that his progress completely changed the picture, at a time when the player was close to moving to Club Brugge: "Suddenly he gets a chance against Real Madrid, scores, and Benfica selling him was no longer an option."

Schjelderup himself acknowledged the impact of the more difficult period, marked by media pressure and less game time: "You don’t like having so much negative attention on you, especially before two of the national team’s most important matches," he explained, recalling the period in November 2025, when he was still fighting for a place in Benfica’s squad.

Despite the difficulties, the winger highlighted the support he received within the Norwegian national team: "I’m grateful for the way Stale Solbakken and the lads looked after me and supported me. When the worst of the storm passes, you almost forget what happened. You’re in a bubble with the national team, it’s a very good group."

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