Norway face France on Wednesday
Norway have called on their team’s media manager to help them prepare to face France’s towering defender Wendie Renard in the World Cup in Nice on Wednesday.
France, the host nation, beat South Korea 4-0 in the tournament opener in Paris on Friday. Renard, who is 6’2″, scored twice in the convincing win, both headers.
According to TV2, team manager Martin Sjögren asked 6’4″ Terje Skeie, the media manager and tallest member of Norway’s support staff, to stand in as a dummy during a closed training session in Cannes on Monday to help his players emulate facing Renard.
“It’s absolutely true that we have used him,” Sjögren told TV2. “He can do a little of everything. Today he was Renard… but I actually think Renard is better off than Terje is.”
Skeie himself said he was happy to help out in training, but admitted Renard would pose more problems.
“It was goalkeeper coach Roger Eskeland who came to me and said that they might need my assistance in training,” he explained.
“Since it was closed to the media, I was available. She is a good defender, so it was a little difficult for me to live up to it.”
Norway currently sit second in Group A having won their opening fixture 3-0 against Nigeria. It seems likely that whoever wins the game in the Allianz Riviera Stadium will take top spot in the group.
