Erling Haaland has spoken out about Manchester City's ongoing financial scandal, saying he knows little about the case and remains committed to the club, where he is under contract until 2034. The striker, who signed a new nine-and-a-half-year deal in late 2024, addressed the situation while on international duty with Norway.
In September, Manchester City were found guilty of over 100 charges relating to breaches of Premier League financial rules. The club was found to have artificially inflated its financial position by over £900 million from 2009 to 2018. City is now appealing those verdicts, with a hearing scheduled for December and a decision on the appeal expected in early 2027. If the appeal fails, punishment could be severe, with points deductions, fines, and even expulsion from the Premier League all possibilities.
Haaland's response to the scandal
Speaking to TV2 after scoring in Norway's 3-1 win over Wales in Oslo, Haaland explained that he has not looked into the scandal much, noting he was not at the club during the period under investigation. He pointed out that the investigation covered 2009 to 2018, a time when he was playing youth football in Norway.
"The investigation covered 2009 to 2018," he said. "In 2009, I played for Bryne U9s. In 2010, the U10s. In 2011, the U11s. 2012, the U12s, 2012, the U13s. Shall we continue? We don't need the whole list…2014, the U14s. 2015, the U15s and the national team."
He added: "Then the U16s, I think. In 2016, I moved up to Bryne's first team, second team and youth team. In 2017, I went to Molde. In 2018, I was with Molde. The first team, Molde 2 and a bit with the youth team. So this is a question I struggle to answer because it's a legal battle…It's a case between the Premier League and Manchester City that a panel will deal with. Am I supposed to answer that? I'm not really sure."
Haaland jokes about Norwegian City players
The 26-year-old joked that questions about the scandal should be directed at his compatriots who were at Manchester City during the period in question. He named several former Norwegian players at the club.
"There were quite a few Norwegians at the club during that period, I think," he said. "Abdisalam Ibrahim, Martin Samuelsen and Omar Elabdellaoui were there. Kjetil Haug was there too. I think there were a couple more but I can't remember. But it's a difficult question to answer when I don't really know that much about it. I assume the answers will come… I don't know when. I haven't read much about it. To be completely honest, I'm focused on trying to perform for Manchester City. A club I signed a five-year deal with in 2022 and a new nine-and-a-half-year deal in late 2024. I think that says everything."
Haaland also addressed his future amid the appeal process, reaffirming his commitment to the club. "I understand that you want a little headline here, but as I said, I signed a long-term contract in 2024," he said. "I'd say I made a pretty good choice by joining City in 2022. We can all agree on that. I won't say it myself, but look at the trophies I've won and how I've developed on and off the pitch. I'm standing here after winning an international 3-1 and we're top of our group in Europe."
City's recent form
Manchester City's players have largely remained quiet on the situation and continue to compete, although three consecutive league defeats to Aston Villa, Brighton, and Nottingham Forest may suggest the situation is taking its toll. Haaland acknowledged the team's recent struggles, saying: "Things aren't going so well for City in the league, but we'll try to turn that around against Fulham. But we can't focus on that now. Now we have to focus on Denmark."
