Norwegian football coaching legend Age Hareide has a brain tumor. The 72-year-old’s family confirmed this on Norwegian Radio (NRK). “That was a shock. Really. For all of us,” said Hareide’s son Bendik.
Hareide first showed signs of the serious illness in the summer when the family noticed language difficulties. The former coach of the Norwegian, Danish and Icelandic national teams has now completed six weeks of radiation therapy and is also taking chemotherapy tablets.
Otherwise, Hareide tries to distract himself with football. He watches family games “all the time.” He was even in the stadium when the Norwegian team won 4-1 against Italy in Milan, with which Erling Haaland and Co. completed their first World Cup qualification since 1998.
Hareide played 50 international matches as a professional and, among other things, spent a season with Manchester City. He has coached clubs in his home country, Sweden and Denmark and is the only coach to have won championships in all three Scandinavian countries. A year ago he resigned as Icelandic national coach and ended his career.