Erling Haaland has sent a message of unity to his Norway teammates after Manchester City were found guilty of 114 Premier League rule breaches. The striker's comments came after national team boss Stale Solbakken got his wish by seeing Haaland withdrawn from media duties to keep him focused on his country - and the player responding with a goal.
City face nervous wait over punishment
City, who have always denied any wrongdoing, now face a nervous wait for their punishment after being found to have breached numerous Premier League rules. The panel found that the Blues breached the regulations over nine years between 2009 and 2018, with the club originally charged in 2023.
It is understood that City will appeal the verdict. Speculation is now growing over whether the Blues could be stripped of titles from the period they have been found to have breached top-flight rules.
Haaland keeps focus on Norway
Such uncertainty may have affected several City players during the England versus Spain game, with those who have connections to the club making uncharacteristic errors at Wembley Stadium on Saturday night. But Haaland appears to be keeping his focus on Norway for now.
The City striker scored against Portugal on Sunday but was unable to prevent his country from losing 2-1. Now, he has sent a defiant message on his Instagram account. He said: "We stick together. Thank you for these two nights, Ullevaal."
Real Madrid links played down
It has been reported by Spanish publication Sport that in the event that City do face punishment, it would not lead to Real Madrid pursuing a deal to sign Haaland. The report claims that members of the La Liga giant's club hierarchy will not pursue a deal for Haaland due to the lengthy contract the striker has signed, which does not include any exit clauses.
The practicalities of a switch to Real have also been called into question, despite a strong rapport with Jude Bellingham stemming from their shared time at Borussia Dortmund. It has been suggested that Haaland would not suit the Real setup, which is built around Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. Yan Diomande's high-profile move to Madrid could also represent a further obstacle to any potential transfer should City face significant demotion.
However, a move to Real's bitter rivals Barcelona has not been entirely ruled out, with the Catalan club considered a more suitable destination for the Premier League's standout striker.
