Manchester City will enable star striker Erling Haaland to miss Saturday’s match against Brentford if he decides to do so due to the untimely death of a close friend.
Haaland, 24, has had an impressive start to the current Premier League season, scoring seven goals in three games, including back-to-back hat-tricks. However, the Norwegian may be absent when Brentford visit the Etihad Stadium at 3pm on Saturday following the death of family friend Ivar Eggja.
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Eggja served as best man during his father Alfie Haaland’s wedding, and the two had a decades-long friendship. During that time, the 59-year-old became Erling’s confidant, assisting him as he soared to the pinnacle of world football.
Both Haalands affectionately addressed him as ‘uncle’. City’s No.9 trained with Pep Guardiola’s squad as usual on Thursday, but his manager believes that family comes first and will not prevent Haaland from taking a break if he wishes, according to the Daily Mail.
“You are a legend, Ivar,” Haaland said in a tribute to Eggja, who was present for his inauguration at City in July 2022 and attended last year’s Ballon d’Or ceremony to encourage the Norwegian international. “Words cannot express how much you mean to me! Words can’t express how much you will be missed!
“Thank you for everything, madman. We’ll see each other again. “Rest in peace, Ivar.”
Rafaela Pimenta, Haaland’s representative, added: “Ever moment I met you, I believed you had the ability to brighten any space. I didn’t know it was a superpower, and that you’d go through so much, so quickly, and in a way that is the best example of courage, decency, tolerance, and optimism that family and friends can only dream of.
“It was an honour to be a small part of your journey.”
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