Haaland will make his debut for Man City today

On the afternoon of May 24, Haaland went to Manchester and met with the management of Man City on the evening of the same day. Today, the Norwegian striker will visit Man City’s training ground, take photos and give an interview to launch the new club.

Previously, Haaland passed a medical examination supervised by doctor Ramon Cugat – who worked with coach Pep Guardiola and regularly checked the fitness of Man City players – in Barcelona. The Spanish coach is said to want Cugat to thoroughly check Haaland’s fitness, when he missed eight of Dortmund’s last 20 games in the 2021-2022 season.

After the last practice session at Dortmund, Haaland gave 33 of his teammates a luxury Rolex each. With each car costing $15,000, he spent more than $0.5 million.

These watches were delivered by two limousines from the Netherlands, including a personalized fitting service for each Dortmund player. Each comes in a special box containing three photos, one with Haaland’s shirt number, one with the Norwegian striker in celebration, and one capturing the moment he lifts the National Cup. Germany – his only title at Signal Iduna Park. Tet stands for Haaland, EBH (for Erling Braut Haaland) is also printed on it.

In addition, Haaland also donated an Omega watch from the Speedmaster Professional line to 20 Dortmund employees. The total amount of the 21-year-old striker spent is more than 100,000 USD, with each unit costing about 5,100 USD.

On May 14, Dortmund held a gratitude ceremony before the match against Hertha Berlin – Haaland’s last match for the Signal Iduna Park team – in the 34th round of the Bundesliga. The club’s representative handed the Norwegian striker a yellow flower bouquet and a picture with the words “Thank you Haaland”. In the stands, fans continuously chanted this striker’s name.

Haaland left a mark in Dortmund’s last game, with a penalty kick to equalize the score in the 68th minute. Youssoufa Moukoko then sealed the victory to give Haaland a complete ending. He was replaced by Reinier in the 90th minute, and received applause from all the stands at Signal Iduna Park.

After the match, the Dortmund players lined up and applauded the last time Haaland left Signal Iduna Park. According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the striker born in 2000 asked Man City to activate the release clause soon so that he had time to prepare to hold a gratitude ceremony with Dortmund.

Haaland then posted a video saying goodbye and thanking the Dortmund fans and members. “Dear fans, I had an unforgettable time at Dortmund. Thank you for your great support. Dortmund will always have a place in my heart. I wish all the best to you. friends,” Haaland said in a video compilation of his best goals and moments in Germany.

In another post on InstagramHaaland wrote: “It’s an honor to wear this shirt. At Dortmund, I had many memorable moments, met special people, and a fan base that always cheered on, like the 12th player. on the field. The golden wall is truly amazing. I won’t forget a thing.”

Dortmund scored 85 goals in the Bundesliga this season, thereby setting a record for the most goals in a season. In which, Haaland contributed 22 goals in 24 matches. In total, Haaland scored 86 goals in 89 games for Dortmund, achieving a performance of close to one goal per game. He and Dortmund won a title, when he scored a brace in the 4-1 win over RB Leipzig in the German Cup final for the 2020-2021 season.

On May 10, Man City confirmed that it had reached an agreement with Dortmund on the transfer of Haaland, but still needed to complete personal terms. The Etihad Stadium owner is said to take only $ 63 million to get Haaland’s signature, $ 19 million less than the striker’s contract release clause with Dortmund. At the new club, Haaland receives a weekly salary of 460,000 USD, equal to the current highest earning player in Man City, Kevin de Bruyne. He will follow in the footsteps of his father Alf-Inge, a former Man City defender from 2000-2003.

Hong Duy