Erling Haaland Investigated for Allegedly Causing Concussion to Manchester City Mascot

Being a mascot for a team is becoming a risky profession. 'Moonbeam', the Manchester City mascot, knows this all too well, having reportedly suffered whiplash and a concussion. Curiously, these injuries were allegedly caused by a player from Pep Guardiola's team, none other than their striker, Erling Haaland. According to 'The Sun', the Norwegian forward, top scorer in the Premier League, allegedly struck the woman who plays the role of the alien 'Moonbeam', the mascot of the 'citizen' team, on the back of her head.

The incident occurred before the Premier League match between Manchester City and Southampton on 26 October 2024. According to the woman's account, the team's striker allegedly hit her before the match began, during which Haaland scored the only goal, securing victory for Manchester City. "What the hell was that that hit me?" she reportedly exclaimed, later discovering the answer: "He said: 'It was Erling. He hit you from behind,'" she recounted to the newspaper, describing the moment she was struck on the back of her body.

"I was quite upset, crying, and my head hurt. I think I was in shock," said the woman who plays 'Moonbeam'. "Later, I realised he came up behind me, hit me on the head, and then leaned on my head," she continued, as reported by the British media.

The woman experienced vomiting due to severe head and neck pain and had to visit the emergency department at Salford Royal Hospital after the match. Manchester City's head of health and safety, Paul Kenyon, launched an investigation to clarify what had happened given the woman's symptoms: "I asked if anyone had spoken to Erling, and he said: 'No, they don't want to distract him,'" she said. "I felt offended because I was the one who got hurt, but they were asking me all the questions."

After a lengthy investigation into the incident, it was concluded that Erling Haaland had not caused any injuries to the woman. In fact, the report states that "Erling Haaland always gives Moonbeam a gentle pat on the back or head as a gesture of recognition," and thus the case was dismissed. Despite a complaint being filed with the police, no action was taken.