For whatever reason, the Erling Haaland at Manchester City product rollout hasn’t happened yet. And by ‘product rollout’ we mean the things that are called “introductory press conferences” or “being unveiled.”
Not that these events have much substance anyway, but we still think it’s a bit odd there hasn’t been one yet here, given how his transfer was officially announced by Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund more than a couple weeks ago.
However, Manchester City top gun Khaldoon Al Mubarak, in the two part “Chairman’s Interview,” didn’t hold back his hyperbole. In Part 1, released yesterday, Al Mubarak called Haaland the “best number nine in the world at the right age.”
“Haaland, from his early days in Norway and then moving on to Dortmund, has been on our radar for at least four or five years,” quote via the interview currently on Man City’s website.
“He is a very, very unique, incredibly talented striker that I think the whole world has been looking at. I would say every big team in the world wanted [him] to join and we’re absolutely delighted that Haaland chose to join Manchester City.”
Norway didn’t make the World Cup, so it’s only the meaningless friendlies this year in which you’ll see Erling Haaland playing international football in 2022.
His national team manager, Stale Solbakken, stifled the media from discussing the superstar scoring sensation’s big money move by saying those kinds of questions were off-limits because they City have not presented him yet. Again, like that really makes a difference about anything. LOL!
Erling Haaland still was able to say this to the media though:
“[The last few months] have been tough. This thing, it hasn’t been simple, at the same time I have been doing the best that I can for Borussia Dortmund for two and a half years.”
“It wasn’t easy, but I’ve done the best I can for the club. I’m ready for four games [with the national team] and that makes me happy.”
Part two of the Chairman’s Interview 2022 is now available on www.mancity.com.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and he co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast, part of Edge of the Crowd Network. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.