Erling Haaland has no regrets about his heated confrontation with Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes during Manchester City’s fiery Premier League draw last month.
City salvaged a point through a dramatic 99th-minute equalizer from John Stones after playing nearly an hour with a man advantage.
As Stones celebrated his goal, Haaland grabbed the ball from inside the net and threw it at the back of Gabriel’s head before running off.
The incident quickly went viral, though Gabriel downplayed it in an interview with TNT Sport Brazil.
“I don’t even remember this.
“It’s normal, they were happy after scoring in the last minute.”
Haaland was asked why he threw the ball, and in his characteristic straightforward manner, he gave a blunt response.
“In the heat of the moment things happened in that game,” he told a press conference while on national duty for Norway.
“What happens on the pitch, stays on the pitch.
“That’s how it is.”
Asked if he regretted the incident, he simply replied: “I don’t regret much in life.”
Haaland made a rare appearance at a press conference, having faced the media in this format only three times during his time at City, with just one occurring mid-season.
He is similarly media-shy when representing Norway, often prioritizing post-match flash interviews due to broadcasting commitments.
During the press conference, he provided a series of short answers and occasionally challenged the journalists.
At one point, he quipped that he would stop for a post-match interview “if anyone wants to ask me any interesting questions.”
When asked if he considered breaking the Norwegian goalscoring record, he simply replied, “no,” and offered another “no comment” when questioned about meeting Cristiano Ronaldo on holiday.
The 24-year-old is set to next appear for his national team on Thursday, as Norway takes on Slovenia in the Nations League, followed by a match against Austria on Sunday.
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