Erlend Fagerli performs during the Red Bull Street Style 2021 World Final at Valencia, Spain November 20, 2021. Alba Garcia/Red Bull Content Pool/Handout via REUTERS/ File photo
LONDON (Reuters) - Erlend Fagerli admits his shooting leaves a bit to be desired and is not especially interested in fellow Norwegian Erland Haaland's exploits at European champions Manchester City.
But put a soccer ball at the feet of the 26-year-old and prepare to be amazed.
While goal-machine Haaland is ripping up records in the Premier League, Fagerli is the undisputed freestyle king and is preparing to challenge for a 10th world title.
Like his fellow freestylers, including his older brother Brynjar, Fagerli does not need to tackle, score a goal or run during his 'battles' which he likens more to the new Olympic sport of break dancing but with a ball.
Freestyle competitions typically involve two players taking it turns on a small circular court to impress the judges with uppers (tricks with the upper body), lowers (tricks with the lower body) and tricks while seated.
"The only thing in common with regular football is that we both use a ball and good ball control helps," Fagerli, who is defending his title at the World Freestyle Football Championship in Nairobi on Saturday and at next week's Red Bull Street Style Championships in Brussels, told Reuters.
Ball control is quite an understatement as Fagerli conjures a seemingly endless array of ways to keep the ball off the ground -- including his signature move the Erlend Roll.
"That's where I kick the ball up and jump forward in like a front flip motion and roll it on the back of my feet and catch it sitting down," he explained.
Fagerli dabbled with playing in a regular team but when he watched videos online of freestylers he was hooked, spending hours imagining new tricks and then trying to perfect them.
"I train five or six days per week and its 95% practising tricks that I haven't quite been able to nail," he said.
"But there is one habit I have, which is just thinking for 10 minutes, just trying to imagine some weird move. Usually, I don't come up with anything but then I have at least activated my mind and something evolves from that."
Fagerli, whose brother Brynjar is one of his fiercest rivals on the baller circuit, believes that freestyle would be a perfect as an Olympic sport ion the same way that break dancing and skateboarding have been integrated.
Should that ever come to fruition, however, it will be too late for him as the next two competitions in Nairobi and Brussels will be his last as he has decided to put the ball away and concentrate on a career in medicine.
"I've been training really hard for nine years, and these two competitions are my last on the highest level," Fagerli, who has a huge social media following, said.
"I've made money from freestyle, but for me, the most important part has been the athletic part.
"The thing I'm most proud of is winning nine World Championship titles. But also, equally, I think just the level I have reached in freestyle, and the way I have been a part of the evolvement of the sport."
He hopes to bow out with a fourth successive title at the Red Bull Street Style Championships next week, and says he might even have a new trick up his sleeve as a farewell present.
"I like the surprise element, a new trick in an important competition or important battle is one of the best feelings," he said.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
