Ole Gunnar Solskjaer once “fined himself” for a press conference blunder while Manchester United manager.
Solskjaer inherited the United manager’s hot seat from Jose Mourinho and was quick to establish a more relaxed dressing room environment than his predecessor, which initially produced a string of positive results.
Nevertheless, when needed the 50-year-old was open to laying down the law at Old Trafford, even against himself.
Indeed, ahead of United’s Europa League final clash against Villareal in 2021, a game they went on to lose on penalties after a 1-1 draw, Solskjaer joked he would fine himself for his press conference etiquette.
The Norwegian was answering questions in a pre-match press conference when his phone began ringing loudly.
He quickly silenced it, only for the device to start ringing again just a few seconds later, prompting sheepish laughter from the United coach.After an embarrassed chuckle Solskjaer said: "Sorry, that's my bad here, my phone's ringing.""Yeah, that's a fine! I'll take that one," he joked, before telling the journalist he could start the question again.
Players and members of the press have been fined in the past for disrupting press conferences.
Solskjaer’s predecessor, Mourinho, once even answered a journalist's phone left on the top of the table as a recording device.
The Portuguese manager spoke to a surprised producer at talkSPORT ahead of United’s game against Liverpool game in 2017.
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