Haaland tells Man City fans to 'stick together, enjoy the ride and smile' as club appeal guilty verdict
Erling Haaland has urged Manchester City supporters to "stick together, enjoy the ride and smile" as the club fight their guilty verdict on serious Premier League financial rules breaches. City face Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, live on Sky Sports, with Haaland insisting the squad must stay positive despite the off-field turmoil.
- Fixture: Liverpool vs Manchester City, Sunday, live on Sky Sports
- Venue: Anfield
- Competition: Premier League
- Headline quote: Haaland: "We have to stick together; we have to spread the love to each other"
- Off-field: Man City have appealed the independent commission's verdict finding them guilty of all charges related to serious breaches of Premier League financial rules
- What's at stake: City insist they are "innocent" and call the judgement "unsafe"; the appeal could drag into 2027
What was said
"They're going to have a good time. We have to stick together. We have to stay with each other, and we have to stay positive. No matter what happens in life, we always have to have a smile."
"So we have to stay positive, look ahead, and try to win football games and try to enjoy the situation and win the game."
"We have to stick together; we have to spread the love to each other. So yeah: stick together, and enjoy the ride and smile."
"I care a lot about the city, I have to say. I care a lot about the fans because I'm a fan myself, and I feel with them as well."
"It's always special to play against Liverpool. Especially with Pep and Klopp. I remember sitting in Salzburg and Dortmund and watching the games, how much they pushed each other. It's always special games there."
"I won there, I drew there, I lost. So it's always special, and every Premier League game is different, and every game against Liverpool is always special."
Haaland's words are carefully chosen. He is not a captain or a manager, but he is the club's most recognisable face, and his call for unity is a direct response to a week dominated by legal language rather than football. The striker frames the trip to Anfield as an escape, a place to "enjoy the ride" rather than dwell on the commission's findings.
The reference to "spread the love" and being "a fan myself" is notable. Haaland is the son of former City player Alf-Inge Haaland, and his claim to care "a lot about the city" is an attempt to align himself with supporters who may feel alienated by the club's ongoing battle with the Premier League. Whether that lands will depend on Sunday's result.
What the independent commission found
- Between 2009/10 and 2017/18, Manchester City arranged "sham" contracts with a number of its commercial partners as part of a "disguised funding scheme" to artificially inflate the club's revenues by £830m.
- The club filed accounts that concealed the true state of its finances.
- Manchester City were significantly in breach of both the Premier League's and UEFA's spending limits and broke "well over 100" Premier League regulations.
- Manchester City failed to co-operate and act in good faith towards the league during the investigation, with three out of four alleged breaches upheld and one charge not proven.
- The commission said it was "regrettable" that a decision had taken so long to reach, with the hearing having taken place between September and December 2024.
City's response and appeal
Following the publication of the guilty verdict on September 29, Manchester City released a statement insisting they are "innocent" and describing the judgement as "opinion". The club said the process was not impartial and that the verdict "contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact and is unsafe".
"Manchester City FC is both disappointed and surprised by the opinion of the Premier League commission, that has been published today."
"The club is innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League and a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all of its positions, relating to this case. The club will therefore be relentless, and where necessary proactive, in any and all appropriate regulatory and legal forums."
"The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements uncompleted. Manchester City FC will now pursue the appeal avenues open to it, on the basis that the opinion contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact, and is unsafe."
"The club has diligently respected due process for eight years on the basis that the Premier League board and executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair-minded regulator, free from partisan influence."
"The club is obviously restricted in what it can say further until all future proceedings are complete."
It should be noted that Manchester City's statement erroneously refers to a Premier League commission. It is an independent commission.
Why Man City's appeal could drag into 2027
According to Sky Sports News' Kaveh Solhekol and Amar Mehta, Manchester City's appeal could drag on into next year if they argue that the process should not be run according to Premier League rules which were introduced for this season. City have filed their appeal and the new rules about appeals state that this part of the disciplinary process has to be concluded within 12 weeks and the appeal hearing can last no longer than five days.
City's lawyers could argue that they were charged in 2023 and a hearing was held in 2024 - when the rules about a speeded-up appeals process were not in the Premier League Handbook. A legal expert told Sky Sports News that Manchester City would have a strong case for arguing that the new rules should not apply in this case. The new rules were introduced to ensure that clubs, where possible, were punished in the same season as relevant rule breaches.
Analysis: Haaland's rallying cry is a shield, not a solution
Manchester City's trip to Anfield has rarely felt so loaded. On the pitch, Haaland leads the line against a Liverpool side that, under Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp, turned this fixture into the defining rivalry of the modern Premier League era. Off it, the club is fighting a verdict that found "sham" contracts, a "disguised funding scheme" and an £830m inflation of revenues. Haaland cannot change any of that, but he can control the mood inside the dressing room.
His language — "stick together", "spread the love", "enjoy the ride" — is deliberately soft. There is no defiance, no mention of the charges. Instead, he positions the players as a buffer between the boardroom and the terraces. It is a smart move from a player who knows that City's away support at Anfield will be asked to sing through a storm of rival chants about financial rules. If City win, the narrative shifts back to football, if only for a week.
Tactically, Haaland remains the focal point. Liverpool's defence will know that City's best route to quietening the noise is an early goal. The striker has experienced every emotion at Anfield — "I won there, I drew there, I lost" — and his ability to score in hostile environments is exactly why City paid so much for him. Guardiola will need his No 9 to be more than a cheerleader.
Talking points
- Can Haaland's "stick together" message really drown out 115 charges and an £830m fraud finding? Fans will decide if football or finance dominates Anfield.
- City's appeal could run into 2027. If that happens, every trophy this squad wins will carry an asterisk in the eyes of rival supporters, fair or not.
- The club statement calls the verdict "unsafe" and "opinion". That is fighting talk, but the independent commission found three of four alleged breaches proven. Who will the public believe?
- Liverpool vs City was the fixture that defined the Guardiola-Klopp era. Without Klopp, does it still carry the same edge, or is it now just another game with a legal sideshow?
What happens next
Manchester City travel to Anfield on Sunday to face Liverpool in the Premier League, live on Sky Sports. The result will dominate the immediate agenda, but the club's appeal against the independent commission's verdict continues in the background. City have filed their appeal, and the key legal question - whether the new 12-week appeals process applies - could determine whether this drags into 2027. On the pitch, Haaland and his team-mates have the chance to give their supporters something to smile about.
Frequently asked questions
What did Erling Haaland say to Manchester City fans?
Haaland said: "We have to stick together. We have to stay with each other, and we have to stay positive. No matter what happens in life, we always have to have a smile." He also said the players must "spread the love to each other" and "enjoy the ride".
When do Manchester City play Liverpool?
Manchester City go to Anfield to face Liverpool on Sunday, live on Sky Sports.
Why could Manchester City's appeal drag into 2027?
According to Sky Sports News, City's lawyers could argue that the new Premier League appeal rules - which require a 12-week conclusion and a hearing of no longer than five days - should not apply because the club was charged in 2023 and a hearing was held in 2024, before those rules were in the Handbook. A legal expert told Sky Sports News that City would have a strong case for that argument.
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