Rosenborg captain Markus Henriksen strikes back against TV 2’s experts Jesper Mathisen and Erik Thorstvedt

The short version

• Rosenborg’s captain Markus Henriksen ended up in a war of words with TV 2’s experts after two controversial situations in the match against Sandefjord
• Henriksen received a yellow card in the 31st minute, but escaped another in the 43rd minute after fouling a Sandefjord player
• TV 2 experts believe Henriksen should have received a red card and expulsion
• Sandefjord coach Hans Erik Ødegaard agrees, believes the situation was decisive in the match

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Because in addition to Ole Sæter’s dream goal and subsequent statements on the live stream, there were two situations that were the big talk from Rosenborg’s 2–0 victory at Lerkendal.

• In the 31st minute of the match, Markus Henriksen received a yellow card for a tough tackle on Sandefjord player Fredrik Pedersen.
• In the 43rd minute of the match, he escaped his second yellow card after kicking down Sandefjord player Jakob Dunsby.

TV 2 expert Jesper Mathisen thought it was “incredibly cowardly” of referee Sivert Amland not to give the captain the second yellow card in this situation:

Colleague Erik Thorstvedt (61) also scratched his head.

– He knocks down a Sandefjord player. It’s clearly a yellow card. Markus Henriksen should have been expelled in this situation, said Thorstvedt.

When VG asks Henriksen if he should have been expelled, he replies:

– The first is a mistake on their part. Then I’m only on the ball and get a yellow card. The other could of course have been a yellow card, but now it didn’t turn out that way in that situation. It probably had something to do with them finding out that the first one was a bad decision on their part.

See the first situation here:

TV 2’s studio did not agree with the latter. During the match, Erik Thorstvedt referred to the first tackle as “dangerous”.

– Those sitting in the studio report in the cabin and revolver. That is why they sit where they sit and are not out on the pitch here, says Henriksen to VG.

– He (Erik Thorstvedt, editor’s note) is certainly holding up extremely well, but it will be difficult for a 61-year-old man to finish on such a bad mat, replies Jesper Mathisen when VG presents him with Henriksen’s performance.

The TV 2 expert elaborates on what he thinks about the situations:

– I think the first yellow card is correct, and the second – which he should have received – is resoundingly clear. I don’t think you’ll find many judges who disagree with that. The RBK captain simply loses it for a small second when he kicks down Dunsby, and he is lucky to finish the game at Lerkendal.

Sandefjord coach Hans Erik Ødegaard was clear that Henriksen should have been expelled.

– He kicks him straight down. A clearer card will not do. He loses the ball and it is an act of revenge and stops a transition. It will be decisive today. It is incredibly weak, he told NRK.

Judge Sigurd Amland explained it this way to TV 2:

– The sum of tackling one and two, I think is too much to give another yellow card for. I’ll be honest about that. I think I was wrong in that situation, he says.

The explanation also caused experts outside TV 2’s studio to react:

– That you as a referee can stand after the game at Lerkendal and say that he did the right thing by not sending off Markus Henriksen is totally incomprehensible. Two clear yellow cards – then the sum is red. And then it is MUCH better to admit it afterwards, writes Lars Tjærnås on X/Twitter.

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