Erling Haaland's father, Alf-Inge, has said his son remains fully committed to winning trophies for Manchester City despite the club's ongoing 114 financial charges.
An independent commission recently ruled City guilty of 114 of the 115 financial charges levied against them, covering nine campaigns between 2009/10 and 2017/18. The commission determined that City had artificially enhanced their income by £900million during that period, with money said to be funnelled through 'sham' sponsorship deals to disguise their genuine source. The tribunal found that the club had engaged in extensive financial violations in an attempt to circumvent Premier League financial rules.
City have subsequently submitted a formal appeal against the verdict and insist they are innocent of all charges. Speculation has been growing over possible sanctions, with penalties ranging from a substantial financial fine and a significant points deduction to the prospect of being stripped of Premier League titles or relegated.
Father's view on Haaland's focus
Alf-Inge said his son remains entirely focused on his on-field displays rather than allowing uncertainty about the club's off-field difficulties to become a distraction.
"Erling thinks about playing as much football as he can and concentrates on that. I think it's more those of us outside the pitch who think a bit more about it," Alf-Inge told ViaPlay.
"Well, it has been circulating for quite a while, hasn't it? So finally something came that was concrete, which it is possible to fight against for City as a club. Obviously, these are serious allegations, but now there is an appeal case pending to be heard, so I think we have to stay calm, keep our cool, and wait to see how it turns out."
Concern over punishing current squad
Alf-Inge believes it would be unjust for City's current squad, including his son, to face sanctions for alleged misconduct that took place before their arrival at the club. The former Leeds United player acknowledged: "Yes, in a way, one might feel that having to potentially take punishment for something done many years ago... yes, I would say so."
When asked if he possessed any further information about the case, Alf-Inge clarified: "Nothing more than what's in the media. And there is an awful lot written there, and very one-sided, I would say, right? Because it's hard for Manchester City to come out right now – with an ongoing appeal – and defend themselves."
"So we hope they get a fair hearing, and then we'll see if they manage to prove that they are innocent, eventually. Now we just have to wait and see. I think they've done more than well to stand tall through this, because of course they have faced plenty of accusations. So I feel the player group has handled it very well."
"We also have to remember that these are things that allegedly happened quite a few years ago. The players today had nothing to do with it. So they've played well. They lost their last match, so it's time to get back to winning ways."
Haaland's form and recent defeat
Erling's exceptional form indicates he has been largely unaffected by the dispute engulfing City, with the Norwegian forward scoring nine goals in as many league matches this season. His strike rate carries over to all competitions, where he has already netted 13 times in just 12 matches.
Haaland was unable to increase his goalscoring record as City slumped to a 1-0 loss at home to Brighton on Saturday. The outcome has given Arsenal the opportunity to overtake City and establish a three-point advantage over their title rivals, if they secure a victory over Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday afternoon.
