Berlin (AFP)
Tensions have risen between Erling Haaland and his German team, Borussia Dortmund, after the Norwegian national football team striker accused his club of pressuring him to make a decision on his future.
The 21-year-old is linked with Dortmund until 2024, but his contract includes a penalty clause allowing him to leave at the end of this season for around 80 million euros.
“In the past six months, I chose not to say anything out of respect for Dortmund, but now the club is starting to put pressure on me,” Halland told the Norwegian channel “Viaplay”, after scoring a double in the match, which his team won 5-1 yesterday at the opening of the nineteenth stage.
He added, “All I want to do is play football, but they are pressing me to make a decision about my future, and that means I have to make a decision soon… Now is the time for things to develop,” noting that the club has been bothering him “about it for a while”.
Halland seems reluctant to decide his future, because his team is waiting for important matches in the current period.
“All I want to do is play football, but I can’t do that now,” Haaland added, clearly angrily.
His Dutch-Italian agent, Mino Raiola, hinted weeks ago that major clubs, such as Real Madrid and Manchester City, are chasing Halland in order to sign him.
Dortmund made it clear that he wanted to know his position, and the club’s CEO, Hans-Joachim Watzke, was surprised by Haaland’s outburst.
In a statement to the Funke media group, he said: We do not put Erling under any pressure at all, adding: There are currently no talks and no confirmed dates for speaking, so I cannot understand what he is saying.
Watzke made it clear that the club could not wait until May, when the season was over and Haaland would realize that. As a professional player, he has to understand that he has to talk about the future at some point.
He continued, “Erling has a spontaneous personality and is still a young boy. He’s allowed to do that, it’s not a problem, stressing that he has an “excellent relationship” with the Norway international, “but he should understand our situation a little bit.
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