Erling Haaland has publicly apologized for Manchester City’s unexpected defeat to Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League, acknowledging that the disappointing outcome has put the Premier League champions' chances of direct qualification at risk.
Returning to his home country, Haaland faced a challenging evening as City experienced one of the competition's notable upsets, leading manager Pep Guardiola to acknowledge that 'the feeling is that everything is going wrong' for the team. The match, played in -9°C temperatures, came just days after a loss to Manchester United, making it a particularly grim week for City.
Haaland, who has managed to score only once—in a penalty against Brighton—over his last eight matches, took accountability for the team's performance. "I take full responsibility for not being able to score. I apologize to every single City supporter who traveled," he remarked. "In the end, it’s embarrassing; I don’t have the answers, and all I can say is sorry."
He further remarked, "They deserved their win, and our performance was insufficient. They play exceptionally well at home," commending Bodo/Glimt’s execution. "We played decently until they scored their first goal, but then they netted another. When Jens (Petter Hauge) scored the goal of the year against us... We gave our all, but something isn’t quite right. The experienced players need to step up."
Haaland chose not to dwell on his disappointments, instead referring to the demanding match schedule. "I don’t want to express how I feel... I strive to do my best... and focus on preparing for the next match, which is in four days."
With their path to the top eight on the line, City must overcome Galatasaray next Wednesday, as Guardiola lamented the series of unfortunate events. “We arrived at this point with some players missing and they seemed a bit vulnerable like they were at certain times last season,” he stated. “Since 2025, I have the impression that our results haven’t been satisfactory... Today presented us with a critical opportunity, yet it feels like everything is going awry. We are facing numerous challenges that are going against us.”
Kjetil Knutsen, the manager of Bodo/Glimt, praised Hauge’s remarkable performance. “He’s an excellent player... He delivered a brilliant display. However, in football, you have to work well as a team, and he's part of an effective squad,” he commented, describing the victory as 'amazing' and applauding the collective effort of his team. Bodo/Glimt still has the chance to qualify for the playoffs, should they manage to defeat Atletico Madrid in their final group encounter.
Comments (0)
You must be logged in to comment.
Be the first to comment on this article!