Erling Haaland Mourns Tragic Family Loss Hours After Manchester City’s Win vs Bournemouth

Things are currently between a rock and a hard place for Erling Haaland. The Norwegian superstar’s return from a 2-month exile due to injury was met with scrutiny and personal sorrow. Aside from facing criticism over his goal-scoring, things went downhill as he recently experienced the loss of a beloved family member. Now, mere hours after Manchester City’s hard-fought victory against Bournemouth, Haaland is in grief as he copes with this deep loss.

Weeks ago, news broke that Tone Rasdal, mother of Alfie Haaland and grandmother of Erling, sadly passed away at the age of 80. Although the City No. 9 had yet to break his silence over the tragic loss, he finally took to Instagram to share his thoughts. He shared an old picture of himself alongside his grandmother, which was already framed and hung on the wall. Aside from this, he also typed a red heart and a white dove emoji below the picture.

As per reports from Norwegian outlets, she was a teacher and a principal at a Norwegian school. She had passed away at a nursing home in Sivdaheimen in Bryne. Notably, her demise coincided with the day Haaland played for Manchester City against Everton, where the 23-year-old scored a brace. It remains uncertain whether he was aware of the news during the match. Has the family loss had a profound effect on his gameplay? 

He fired blank in last night’s 0-1 scoreline against the Cherries, with Phil Foden coming to the rescue. While it has kept Haaland in the headlines, Pep Guardiola came to his defense.

Pep Guardiola defends Erling Haaland, who is also ‘a human being’

Since his return from injury, Erling Haaland has scored just three times in 7 matches. Amidst the criticism, during the post-match press conference after the Brentford win, Pep Guardiola made a bold claim. He stated that Haaland will ‘shut‘ everyone’s mouth as he never fails to deliver. The City boss further added, “He lost his grandmother. It is not easy for a human being. Of course, he is not in his best shape but it’s normal.”

Interestingly, Guardiola had again come in support of Haaland after the striker missed 9 chances against Chelsea, leading the Sky Blues to settle for a 1-1 draw. For now, City are still a point behind leaders Liverpool. They will have a chance to extend their lead next week in the Manchester Derby after playing in the FA Cup 5th round against Luton Town on Wednesday. Till then, let’s hope Haaland gets back into his lethal goalscoring form.

READ MORE: “I Wanted Water” – Ecstatic Over Erling Haaland’s Goal, Pep Guardiola Justifies His ‘Kicking’ Stunt at Manchester City vs. Brentford