Soccer Nostalgia: Soccer Memories, Part 56- Norway v. France Euro Qualifier on June 16, 1987-Video Interview and Blog Presentation with Mr. Runar Nordvik, the Head of Media at Norwegian Club FK Haugesund and former Football Journalist)

For this interview, I look back at the Euro qualifier between Norway and France on June 16, 1987.

The Interview will be as a video link companion, while the Blog will be a presentation of the events.

The Interviewee is:

Mr. Runar Nordvik

Mr. Nordvik is the Head of Media at Norwegian Club FK Haugesund and former Football Journalist

Mr. Nordvik’s contact info:

Twitter: @RunarNordvik

My contact information:

on twitter @sp1873 and on facebook under Soccernostalgia.

https://linktr.ee/sp1873

June 16, 1987-Norway’s win over defending Euro Champions France

Norway hosted France in Oslo in a Euro qualifier on June 16^th, 1987, in a relatively inconsequential match. They had not qualified to the Finals of any Tournament since 1938, and any future qualifications seemed remote.

As far as the 1988 Euro qualifiers, it had been much of the same and Norway were winless in three matches (a scoreless tie at home v. East Germany and two losses against the mighty Soviet Union side managed by Valeri Lobanovsky).

The situation for France was just as bleak at this point. Following the1986 World Cup many of its stars retired and the team struggled in the Euro qualifiers as a result.

The loss of Giresse, Rocheteau and Bossis left a team depleted and short of experience. Just a month before this match, the greatest star of that Team and that French Generation Michel Platini retired altogether from the game. He would be a spectator in the stands for this match.

It was up to veterans such as Jean Tigana and Patrick Battiston to lead a youthful team that had not reached maturity.

France Manager Henri Michel was under increasing pressure as he was overseeing the downfall of the French National Team following two successive World Cup semifinals and the Euro title of 1984.

The departure of his Norwegian counterpart Tore Röste Fossen had already been confirmed.

Just two days before this match on June 14^th, it was announced that the Swede Tord Grip would be taking over.

This match vs. France would be Fossen’s last match in charge. He had been in charge for nearly a decade. His greatest success remained the historical win over England in 1981.

Photo From: Mondial, new series, Issue 87, June 1987

(Norway Manager Tore Röste Fossen)

Internationally, Norwegian Football was still lagging behind its Scandinavian neighbors Denmark and Sweden.

The best Norwegian players had to move abroad to play at the top level.

However, this in itself was not a guarantee of success and ahead of this match, Fossen was concerned that many of his regulars with foreign clubs were largely restrained to the bench.

These included Per Edmund Mordt (at IFK Gotheburg) and Kjetil Osvold (at Nottingham Forest).

Norway had a few players based in France but in the Second Division.

Hans Herman Henriksen played for Guingamp, while Terje Kojedal and Arve Seland played in Mulhouse.

For France, National Team Manager Henri Michel installed Toulouse’s Gerald Passi as the new number 10 to replace Platini.

Tigana was the lone remnant of the famous ‘carré magique’ as Luis Fernandez was missing.

In the absence of Battiston, Manuel Amoros was similarly the sole link in defense to the glorious past.

It was a match that France found difficult to control. Although in those days, France always struggled away from home, even in the best days of the Hidalgo era.

The deadlock would be broken with less than twenty minutes left, through an error by French goalkeeper Joël Bats. Bats missed his attempt at a clearance allowing Mordt to score.

In the 80^th minute, Norway scored the second through Jörn Andersen. He received a long cross and bypassed the French defense to go on and score.

In this match the French defense would be tired and were off form in a muddy pitch.

In fact, the entire team was disorganized, and the result was no surprise.

For Norway, Kojedal and Sundby received much of the praise.

Photo From: France Football, Issue 2150, June 23, 1987

(June 16, 1987, EC Qualifier, Norway 2-France 0)

Photo From: France Football, Issue 2150, June 23, 1987

(June 16, 1987, EC Qualifier, Norway 2-France 0)

Fossen felt France had been disturbed by the state of the pitch. However, Henri Michel said that was not a valid excuse. He felt the state of the field did not favor a technical game, but on the day, they simply did not play, and he felt this was worse.

Michel added that technic worked together with the physical state of the players, and he felt his players were out of form.

Later Platini praised Passi and said France had found its number 10, but the future proved otherwise.

Platini felt under the circumstances defeat may have been the best option, as France could now turn the page and prepare for the future.

France’s first match of the post-Platini era confirmed that difficult days (years) lay ahead.

This defeat was more a reflection on France’s decline, rather than Norway’s ascent.

Comparisons were made to France’s previous loss to Norway in Strasbourg on November 6, 1968 (0-1 loss) that ultimately eliminated France from qualifying to the 1970 World Cup (Henri Michel was on the field that day for France).

The takeaway from the French Press was that Henri Michel should have prepared for the future much sooner. Any hope for the 1988 Euros was gone and the new objective was now to prepare a younger team for the 1990 World Cup qualifiers.

Photo From: Mondial, new series, Issue 88, July 1987

(June 16, 1987, EC Qualifier, Norway 2-France 0)

Photo From: Mondial, new series, Issue 88, July 1987

(June 16, 1987, EC Qualifier, Norway 2-France 0)

Photo From: Mondial, new series, Issue 88, July 1987

(June 16, 1987, EC Qualifier, Norway 2-France 0)

This victory did not rise to the hype of the 1981 win over England, especially culturally.

It was nevertheless a rare win against a top opponent.

Tord Grip did not capitalize on this win and the rest of Norway’s qualification was dismal. This included home and away defeats to Iceland, losing to East Germany and just a point at Paris against a now rebuilding France.

The Egil Olsen era was a few years away but that is another story…..

Date: June 16, 1987

Competition: UEFA European Championship Qualifier-Group 3

Result: Norway 2-France 0

Venue: Oslo- Ullevaal Stadion

Attendance: 8,268

Referee: Werner Föckler (West Germany)

Linesmen: M. Neuner, B.Kriegelstein (Both West Germany)

Kick-off time: -

Goalscorers:

(Norway): Per Edmund Mordt 71, Jörn Andersen 80

(France): None

Summary of goals:

1:0 (71^st minute, Norway): After a clearance, Thoresen lobbed back into the box, Bats missed his attempted clearance and Mordt scored.

2:0 (80^th minute, Norway): From the Norwegian defense on the left side, a long cross was sent and reached Andersen who scored.

Lineups:

Norway:

1-Erik Thorstvedt (IFK (Idrottsföreningen Kamraterna) Göteborg / Sweden)

2- Hans Herman Henriksen (En Avant de Guingamp / France)

3-Terje Kojedal (Football Club de Mulhouse / France)

4-Anders Giske (1.Fußball-Club Nürnberg - Verein für Leibesübungen e.V. / West Germany)

5-Per Egil Ahlsen (Brann Sportsklubben- Bergen)

6-Jan Berg (Molde Fotballklubb- More og Romsdal)

7-Per Edmund Mordt (IFK (Idrottsföreningen Kamraterna) Göteborg / Sweden)

8-Arve Seland (Football Club de Mulhouse / France) (14-Kjetil Osvold (Nottingham Forest Football Club / England) 62)

9-Jörn Andersen (1.Fußball-Club Nürnberg - Verein für Leibesübungen e.V. / West Germany) (13-Erik Soler (Brann Sportsklubben- Bergen) 89)

10-Tom Sundby (Gymnasticós Sillegós Iraklis- Thessaloniki / Greece)

11-Hallvard Thoresen (Philips Sports Vereniging Eindhoven / Holland)

Coach: Tore Röste Fossen

Other Substitutes:

Trond Sollied (Rosenborg Ballklub- Trondheim)

Vegard Skogheim (Hamarkameratene)

Ola By Rise (Rosenborg Ballklub- Trondheim)

Team Captain: Hallvard Thoresen

Official Kit Supplier/Designer: Hummel

Uniform Colors: Red Shirts, White Shorts, Black Socks

France:

1- Joël Bats (Paris Saint-Germain Football Club)

3- Jean-Christophe Thouvenel (Girondins de Bordeaux Football Club)

4- Basile Boli (Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise)

5- Jean François Domergue (Olympique de Marseille)

2- Manuel Amoros (Association Sportive de Monaco)

7-Jean-Marc Ferreri (Girondins de Bordeaux Football Club)

8-Jean Tigana (Girondins de Bordeaux Football Club)

10- Gerald Passi (Toulouse Football Club)

6-Fabrice Poullain (Paris Saint-Germain Football Club) (14-Patrick Delamontagne (Stade Lavallois) 80)

9- Yannick Stopyra (Toulouse Football Club)

11- Carmelo Micciche (Football Club de Metz) (15-Philippe Fargeon (Girondins de Bordeaux Football Club) 75)

Coach: Henri Michel

Other Substitutes:

Bruno Martini (Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise)

Didier Senac (Racing Club de Lens)

Dominique Bijotat (Association Sportive de Monaco)

Team Captain: Jean Tigana

Official Kit Supplier/Designer: Adidas

Uniform Colors: White Shirts, Blue Shorts, White Socks

Note:

1- On June 10, 1987, Didier Senac was called up to replace the injured Le Roux.

2-On June 14, 1987, Patrick Delamontagne was called up to replace the injured Jose Toure.

3-France’s first match since the retirement of Michel Platini.

4-Jean Tigana retired from the National Team after this match. He would be recalled by Platini when he took over as National Team Manager in November 1988.

References:

France Football, Issue 2150, June 23, 1987

Mondial, new series, Issue 87, June 1987

Mondial, new series, Issue 88, July 1987

Onze, Issue 138, June 1987

Onze, Issue 139, July 1987

World Soccer, August 1987