On the evening of August 10th, Erling Haaland’s rendition of the British national anthem before the Community Shield match between Manchester City and Manchester United sparked debate among fans.
The game saw Manchester City draw 1-1 with Manchester United in regular time, ultimately securing the Community Shield trophy with a 7-6 victory in a penalty shootout.
In accordance with tradition for all domestic cup finals in England, the national anthem, “God Save the King,” is played before the match.
At Wembley Stadium, Haaland, a Norwegian national, was spotted singing along to the anthem.
“Haaland’s actions left the audience bewildered,” The Daily Mail reported.
Fans took to social media with comments like: “Turning on the TV, I couldn’t believe my eyes seeing Haaland singing the British national anthem.” “It was amusing to see Haaland singing the British national anthem.” “I guess he was born here, lived here since childhood, and I respect that.”
Some fans expressed disappointment, saying: “Why did he do that? He looks like a machine.”
However, Haaland’s rendition of the British national anthem is understandable, as he was born in Leeds and, in fact, is eligible to play for England. In an interview in 2022, Haaland explained why he chose to represent Norway instead of England: “I lived three and a half to four years in England, and I have lived in Norway for a long time. So it was natural for me to choose Norway. If my dad had played here for a longer time, maybe I would be English. I don’t know. But I’m a Norwegian and I’m proud of it.”
This article is from a user submission and does not represent the views of Soccer News Pick. If you repost it, please indicate the source: https://www.soccernewspick.com/premier-league/18589.html
