Norway is back on the winning track again in the Nations League with goals from Andreas Schjelderup, Antonio Nusa and Erling Haaland.
After Norway’s 3-1 win over Wales, Erling Haaland met with the press. The question everyone was waiting for finally came: What does he think about Manchester City’s fateful verdict? The Norwegian responded with a mixture of humility, humor and a clear message.
Don’t wait – get 80 million euros ready for world-class player Antonio Nusa!
The shock verdict that shook the football world
In September, the football world was shaken when an independent commission found City guilty of its 114 charges. The 40-page ruling revealed that between 2009 and 2018 – a period during which they secured three Premier League titles – the club had inflated its revenue to £900 million by arranging “fake contracts” and relying on “fake deals” to artificially inflate the club’s revenue and reduce costs.
City have always maintained their innocence and said that they have “irrefutable evidence” that it was the Abu Dhabi government that owned the sponsors – not the City owners, Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG) – that topped up the funds.
| Key facts | Details |
|---|---|
| Accusations | 114 (referred to as the “115 case”) |
| Period | 2009–2018 |
| Inflated revenues | £900 million |
| City’s defence | Claims “irrefutable evidence” |
| Appeal | Filed in early October |
| Possible penalties | Points deductions, bans, deprivation of titles, fines |
The eight-time Premier League champions appealed the guilty verdict at the start of October. Penalties – including possible points deductions, bans from top-flight football, deprivation of titles and fines – could be issued by the start of next year.
Haaland’s first public comment
Throughout the biggest case in English football history, Enzo Maresca’s men have been allowed to play matches without sanctions – and it has been business as usual for Erling Haaland.
The Norwegian has scored 14 goals in as many games for City in all competitions. After netting for his country in the 3-1 win over Wales, he was finally asked about the guilty verdict publicly.
Then, after continuing to list the clubs he played for before joining Red Bull Salzburg from Molde in 2019, he confirmed:
What does it mean for Haaland’s future?
Haaland’s long-term future at the Etihad Stadium has been a major topic of discussion in recent months. It was revealed that the Norwegian goalkeeper does not have a relegation clause in the lucrative nine-and-a-half-year contract – worth a reported £260 million – that he signed in January 2025.
This means that the club will immediately try to cash in on the striker if they are banned from English top football, along with several of their world-class players.
When asked about his thoughts on City’s future, Haaland replied:
Europe’s big clubs are lurking
City’s situation has alerted some of Europe’s biggest clubs – including Barcelona – who are very interested in signing Haaland if the guilty verdict is upheld.
| Club | Interest |
|---|---|
| Barcelona | Very interested if the verdict is upheld |
| Other big European clubs | Monitoring the situation closely |
Summary: Haaland keeps a cool head
| Questions | Haaland’s response |
|---|---|
| About the 115 case | “A difficult question to answer – I don’t know much” |
| About the future | “I’m a City player, and I’m incredibly happy about it” |
| About Focus | “We must focus on Denmark” |
Erling Haaland does what he has always done: He scores goals, stays focused on football – and lets legal chaos be legal chaos. But the question everyone is asking: How long can he continue to ignore the storm that is simmering around his club? ⚽🇳🇴
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