Solbakken, a former Norwegian footballer, has faced two life-threatening heart attacks in his life, one of which occurred 25 years ago during a training session with Danish giants Copenhagen.
At the age of 33, Solbakken suffered a heart attack, and despite being clinically dead for seven minutes, he was revived in the ambulance and placed on a life-support machine for 26 hours in hospital.
Solbakken was fitted with a pacemaker, which he still wears to this day, and he subsequently retired from football due to the experience.
He remembers nothing about the events of that day, but his family and teammates were left traumatized by the ordeal.
Solbakken's wife, Anniken, was left alone with two young children at the time, and his parents were so worried about his survival that they started planning his funeral.
However, Solbakken turned to coaching after retiring from the game, and he has had a successful career in management, including a stint as Copenhagen manager in 2009.
During his first spell as Copenhagen manager, Solbakken's heart stopped again due to his pacemaker, but he was saved by the device.
More recently, Solbakken experienced another scare on the eve of the 2026 World Cup when his pacemaker started vibrating due to interference from a journalist's microphone.
Despite these health concerns, Solbakken no longer regards his defected heart as an issue in his life and has forged a successful career as a coach.
He considers himself to have "got off very lightly" and is now living a normal life with his pacemaker, which kicks in as soon as his heart starts beating incorrectly.
