Manchester City striker Erling Haaland and an unnamed Polish electrician are locked in a legal battle at the European Union Intellectual Property Office and the EU General Court in Luxembourg over the rights to the “Haaland” brand name, welt.de reported.
The Trademark Dispute Over Sportswear and Energy Drinks
The unusual conflict began in 2023 when a Polish electrician registered the “Haaland” name as a trademark with the European Union for sport clothing, football boots, and energy drinks. Just days later, the Manchester City forward and multimillionaire filed to extend his own Norwegian trademark registration across the European Union. When the electrician filed a protest against that expansion, the legal teams discovered the prior EU filing.
EU General Court Proceedings in Luxembourg
Refusing to back down, the electrician filed a lawsuit at the EU General Court in Luxembourg over the summer, as reported by the Norwegian newspaper VG. Legal counsel representing the 220-million-euro-rated striker have argued in court filings that the electrician acted with bad faith and malicious intent to unjustly profit from the football star’s globally recognized surname. The case continues to wind its way through the European judicial system even though the two figures are unlikely to ever cross paths on a football pitch.
Manchester City Appeals 115 Premier League Financial Breaches
Addressing the ongoing institutional uncertainty, Haaland urged his teammates to maintain focus ahead of the weekend fixture. “We must stick together, we must be there for each other and stay positive. No matter what happens in life: We always have to have a smile on our face. So we have to stay positive, look forward, try to win football games, and then try to enjoy the situation and the game,” Haaland said.
