Viking FK captain Zlatko Tripić was well and truly the pantomime villain for the Norwegian outfit in their shock 3-3 draw with Bayern Munich in the Champions League. In addition to providing two assists for his side and earning a historic point for the club, he played a large part in baiting Michael Olise into picking up two yellow cards and a red card. From that moment on (74th minute), momentum was always going to be on Viking FK’s side, and a 90th-minute goal from Herman Haugen left Bayern ruing
missed chances and settling for two more dropped points.
Frustration on social media over Tripić’s antics and theatrics throughout the match circulated heavily as the Viking FK captain was at the heart of most of the drama and decisions that went against Bayern. Everything reached its zenith when he shoved Olise in the back after the Frenchman was whistled for a foul on Henrik Heggheim—a decision Tripić heavily protested—resulting in Olise tossing the ball at his face. Tripić rolled around on the artificial turf rather theatrically and admitted post-match that he was proud he was able to get under Olise’s skin as much as he did.
For Harry Kane, who bagged a brace in the draw, the England skipper said he wasn’t too bothered by Tripić’s second-half hijinks that led to Olise’s sending off. For him, it was to be expected against a side that was always going to look for any way possible to unnerve Bayern.
“No, I don’t think so. This is part of football. He’s a brave player who likes to win free kicks, roll around and waste time. You come up against players like that all the time. Today, it worked out for him. The referee wasn’t quite able to control it, but it is what it is,” Kane replied when he was asked whether or not the Viking FK captain got under his skin by Norway’s TV2 (via @iMiaSanMia).
Of course, Kane is a player all too familiar with wind-ups during matches and arguably bears the brunt of a lot of off-the-ball fouling that goes unseen by match officials, but it’s par for the course when you are currently the world’s best striker. For Olise, it was a bit surprising to see a player known for his nonchalance get so worked up, but that was always part of Viking FK’s game plan: win at all costs and rattle Bayern at all costs.
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