Norway’s men’s football team recently had a routine visit from the country’s anti-doping agency, but what made this visit unusual was the list of players selected for testing.
Among those required to give a urine sample was Manchester City star Erling Haaland. However, in an odd twist, the list also included two legendary Norwegian goal scorers, Jorgen Juve and Einar Gundersen—both of whom have long passed away.
Juve died in 1983, and Gundersen in 1962.
“We had a visit from Anti-Doping Norway [on Tuesday],” Norway manager Stale Solbakken said on Wednesday. “The following players were selected for testing: Erling Braut Haaland, Jørgen Strand Larsen, Antonio Nusa, Oscar Bobb, Einar Gundersen, and Jorgen Juve.
“Then I start to wonder. These were the names that were read out, and it was serious. So we had to call Anti-Doping Norway and ask, ‘Is there a hidden camera?’ So Einar Gundersen and Jorgen Juve were summoned. It was a bit late. Negative tests on both of them.”
Solbakken added: “They’ve probably taken the list of top scorers and added a few names.”
While Haaland and Larsen were with the squad, Bobb, 21, wasn’t with the group, as he’s out injured for three months with a broken leg.
And as for Gundersen and Juve, their place in Norwegian football history is assured. Juve scored 33 goals for Norway from 1928 to 1937, while Gundersen scored 26 goals from 1917 to 1928.
“It’s hard to say what happened, but normally we hit the target better,” Anti-Doping Norway (ADNO) communications director, Halvor Byfuglien, told the VG newspaper.
“All we can do now is admit we’re wrong. We can joke about it in the office today and then review our routines going forward.”