"There is no place for his actions in football": Odegaard erupts over Real Madrid star

Martin Odegaard erupted in anger after an incident involving Portugal's Bernardo Silva during Norway's clash with Portugal, which ended in a 2-1 win for the Portuguese yesterday. The Arsenal star captains his country. Silva plays his club football for Real Madrid.

The flashpoint came in the final minutes. Silva arrived late to a ball Odegaard had already got rid of, catching the Norway captain from behind at ankle level.

Silva collected a yellow card for the challenge. Odegaard, meanwhile, saw out the match in pain and eventually limped off the pitch.

Afterwards, the Arsenal captain made no secret of his fury. He confirmed he had taken a heavy blow to the ankle and did not expect to feel his best in the hours that followed, though he hoped his condition would improve over the coming days.

Asked about Silva's challenge, Odegaard sharpened his tone: "It was a senseless moment on his part. He brought me down long after I had passed the ball, and I don't understand what he was doing."

He was not finished. "I don't know what he was doing. These actions have no place on a football pitch. It is unfortunate that some people behave in this way."

Odegaard refused to reveal what he had said to Silva on the pitch, suggesting the question was better put to the Portuguese player himself. According to Portuguese media, Silva offered no apology for the incident.

Silva, by contrast, kept it brief. He met journalists' questions about the challenge with a curt "What challenge?", before ending the conversation with: "This is football, my friend."

Norway's players lined up to condemn the tackle too. Patrick Berg called it "completely unnecessary", while Andreas Schjelderup branded Silva's challenge late and ugly.