Mino Raiola and Alf-Inge Haaland toured the main European chancellors a year before Erling Haaland He left Borussia Dortmund and landed at the Etihad. “We have a criterion in mind, who needs a ‘9’? Manchester City is a 10, the perfect option, while Real Madrid is a 5 or a 6 because of how Benzema is playing”, affirmed the father of the striker in the documentary about his decision.
The 22-year-old attacker opted for the ‘cityzens’, changing the Bundesliga for the Premier. “I chose City, first of all, a bit because of my father (he played with the ‘sky blues’ between 2000 and 2003). I was born in England (Leeds) and I have been a fan of the club all my life. I know a lot about the team. I feel at home here and I know I can develop and get the best of my game. I like the style and I think it fits well,” confesses Haaland.
His image with the City shirt as a child showed the links with the Manchester team of an attacker that the critics thought would take time to become the Premier and Guardiola’s football. The goals he missed in the Community Shield against Liverpool (3-1 loss) fueled this theory. “A week ago he was not going to adapt to the Premier and now you put him together with Henry, Shearer and Cristiano”, joked Pep after his debut in the league with a brace against West Ham. The technician never doubted that he would “fit in well.”
Haaland’s 22-year-old numbers: Messi, Cristiano and Mbapp didn’t even come close
Two months later, the Norwegian is breaking all records in the Premier. No footballer started in ‘football’ scoring 14 goals in eight games. His total numbers (19 goals in 12 games) with City draw the power in the area of a Haaland who is top scorer in England and in the Champions League (five goals in three duels). He is on his way to changing filmmaking records in his first year at the Etihad.
I thank Haaland for choosing us. we are very lucky
The acclimatization has not existed for a striker who is becoming more attached to the City style… without losing his voracity in the area. “What you are doing you did before in Norway, in Austria and in Germany. It is not something that I have taught you. their numbers scare. I was born to score goals”, said a surrendered Guadiola to his ‘9’: “At 22 years old, no one can compare to Haaland“. “I thank you for choosing us. We are very lucky. He has an incredible and natural instinct to know where the ball is going to end up. You can still improve every part of your game. We never talked about how many goals he would score… but it’s good that he breaks records.” Pep declares.
You only have to think about football
The Norwegian, who as a child sat on Maine Road to see his father, is sweeping the Etihad as an adult. “I knew I would adapt… but there are always doubts. It’s a new city, a new country, new teammates, new coach… Things can take time, but everything is going fast and I’m comfortable. I know they are players who know each other very well and have been playing together for a long time. For me it was a matter of getting there, of not thinking too much, not trying to do more things than necessary and trying to do what I do best,” Haaland said on the Celeste website. Said and done.
I knew I would adapt… but there are always doubts. It’s a new city, a new country, new teammates, new coach… Things may take time, but everything is going fast and I’m comfortable
Jonas Adnan, Norwegian journalist from ‘Dagbladet’, explains in MARCA some of the secrets for its rapid adaptation. “Erling has a trainer, Ivar Eggja, who works very closely with his father, is with him and acts as a ‘facilitator’ looking for him a house, taking care of his diet and giving him everything he needs so that he only thinks about football. When he arrived in Manchester, he already had everything ready,” Adnan points out. In addition, City’s Italian coach Mario Pafundiwho has already worked with other ‘celestial’ footballers such as De Bruyne and Agero, accompanies him even when he is concentrated with Norway to maintain his routines and take care of his physique, seeking to avoid the injuries he had last year at Dortmund.
Erling has a coach, Ivar Eggja, who works very close to his father, is with him and acts as a ‘facilitator’ looking for him a house, taking care of his diet and giving him everything he needs so that he only thinks about football
The attacker leaves nothing to the imagination. “For the Haalands, the most important thing is to find a club where there is space and where they can play and grow. The key to his adaptation is that he is always hungry. He wants to improve his body, his header, his shot… He knows what he has to do to be one of the best in the world. He also has a star mentality…but he’s a close person. He can go on vacation to Marbella for a few weeks and also be in his town, in Bryne, working on his farm. He’s very down to earth,” says Adnan. The image of him shopping in a Manchester supermarket reinforces this argument.
An environment ‘similar’ to that of Dortmund Haaland’s father confesses why his son did not go to Madrid
Miguel Gutirrez, A German journalist of Spanish origin with extensive experience in the media, he experienced Haaland’s landing in Dortmund first-hand and sees in MARCA parallels with his arrival in Manchester. “At City it is key that he comes from a similar cultural environment. When he landed in the Bundesliga from Salzburg he spoke some German and the adaptation was faster. In addition, he arrived in January at the Dortmund concentration in Marbella and had time to settle down before you start playing. And now, he speaks perfect English and it helps him a little that his father was a City player and knows the club, the city.… although that doesn’t make you a better or worse footballer,” says Gutirrez.
For his adaptation in the City it is being key that he comes from a similar cultural environment. Haaland speaks perfect English and her father knows the club, the city…
For the German journalist, there is another basic factor to understand his instant success in the Premier: “He is a kid who lives exclusively for football and this type of scorer, like Lewandowski, works for all teams because they are differential. He is going to score in all the clubs he plays as he has already done in Molde, in Salzburg, in Dortmund and now in City.”
Good vibes in the locker room and lasaa Haaland’s joke to solve who should take the ball from City 6-3 United
Haaland doesn’t just have fun on grass. His good relationship, for example, with De Bruyne goes beyond the assistance he receives. “Do you want me to hold the menu and help you choose?” The Belgian said on Twitter to the Norwegian, responding to an image of him in a restaurant. “Yeah, I dream about it every night, I don’t know why,” Erling laughed. The same goes for Foden. “We will each take a ball. We will share it,” they joked after their hat-tricks against United.
I always thought Haaland would score goals… but not that many. We have hardly asked Guardiola about his acclimatization
He is one more in the ‘light blue’ locker room and Sam Lee, a journalist from ‘The Athletic’ who covers the City information, hallucinates in MARK with its rapid adaptation. “I always thought he would score goals… but not that many. We have hardly asked Guardiola about his acclimatization. He has everything. He scores and plays as if he were an Owen and Luis Surez-type striker… but he is very tall! “Weaknesses. City have changed their style a bit, they have less control, but it’s normal with a beast like him in the box. And Erling has improved his connection with his teammates and his way of playing outside the danger zone,” he explains. Read.
The journalist recounted that before each home game Haaland eats the lasagna that his father prepares for him. At the moment, he is bringing him luck: he has three consecutive hat-tricks in the Premier at the Etihad and only missed out against Bournemouth at home. “His diet is incredible. What you have to eat to be like him… When he is on vacation he likes kebab pizza (he told this in an interview on the Dortmund website in which he revealed that in his free time he trains, meditates, listens to rap and plays FIFA with his friends). His dad’s lasagna is bringing him luck at home…even though he’s scored in every away game too,” Lee points out. Haaland is hungry…and Southampton is next on his menu.
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