Man City star Erling Haaland reported to police after ‘leaving mascot with suspected whiplash’ | Football

Manchester City were forced to open an investigation after Erling Haaland allegedly left the club’s mascot with suspected whiplash following a ‘playful knock to the back of her head’.

According to The Sun, the woman was working inside cuddly alien mascot ‘Moonbeam’ before City’s 1-0 victory over Southampton last October when the incident occurred.

It’s claimed the City employee initially assumed she had been hit by a football while posing for a photograph before learning that Haaland had ‘playfully’ struck her twice from behind at the Etihad.

The report adds that the unnamed female – who began working as a City temp last summer – was sent for checks at hospital the following day and subsequently lodged an assault complaint with Greater Manchester Police.

While accusing City of a ‘cover-up’ to protect their star striker Haaland, the individual in question lifted the lid on the moment a colleague filled her in on what they believed had happened.

She explained to the tabloid how she made her way off the pitch asking, ‘What the hell was that that hit me?’, to which her colleague replied: ‘It was Erling. He hit you from behind.’

‘I was pretty upset and I was crying and my head was thudding and I think I was in shock. I later realised he’d come behind me and hit me on the head and then leaned on my head,’ she added.

A City safeguarding employee is alleged to have told her, ‘At least you can say Erling Haaland hit you,’ before she proceeded to finish her shift at City’s stadium.

After ‘vomiting and suffering neck and head pain’, she was encouraged to go to hospital by a first-team doctor employed by City the next day.

‘I asked if anyone had spoken to Erling and he said, “No, they don’t want to distract him”,’ she claimed.

‘I was offended because I was the one hurt but I was being asked all the questions.

’I’m sure Erling would have apologised to me if they had given him the chance. But they just wanted to sweep it under the carpet.”

However, The Sun claim a probe launched by City’s health and safety chief Paul Kenyon concluded that Haaland had not caused her injuries, with CCTV footage allegedly showing the Norwegian only ‘grazing’ the mascot.

The report adds that Greater Manchester Police concurred and told the woman that Haaland had not acted with malice. 

A City spokesperson said it ‘fully investigated and found that none of the evidence, including video footage, backed up the claim that an injury was sustained in the manner alleged”.

‘We’re also aware a complaint was made to Greater Manchester Police and no further action was taken by them either.’

City return to action on Sunday afternoon for what promises to be an intriguing FA Cup quarter-final clash with Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.

Facing the media ahead of the tie, Pep Guardiola heaped praise on fellow countryman Andoni Iraola for the job he had done on the south coast.

‘I wouldn’t say they are chaotic. They have a special way to play and it works,’ the Spaniard told reporters, with City looking to go one further after finishing runners-up in the competition last season.

‘They have had a really good season and football would be boring if all the teams played in the same way.’

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