Erling Haaland: No Change in Demeanor After Man City Verdict

Erling Haaland hasn't altered his conduct after the ruling on Manchester City's alleged "sham contract," according to Norway teammate Kristoffer Ajer.

Haaland is set to play for the first time on Thursday since the Premier League announced its findings on Man City, stating the club artificially inflated revenue by £900 million between 2009 and 2018.

Norway faces Wales in the Nations League on Thursday, placing Haaland under scrutiny as his club confronts significant uncertainty after the Premier League's statement.

"He brings a lot of energy and joy to the group, as he always has," said Brentford centre-back Ajer when asked about Haaland's demeanor in the Norway camp since City's verdict was revealed on Tuesday.

"That's the biggest compliment I can give: he hasn't changed at all since I first met him, even though he's currently the biggest star globally. He's been exactly the same these past few days, which isn't surprising to me."

Reports of City's guilty verdict first emerged in the media last Friday.

City Verdict Not Discussed in Norway Camp

Haaland scored against Portugal in a 2-1 loss two days later, following two goals against Denmark that extended his record as the Nations League's all-time top scorer to 22.

"He's the best player in the world, in my opinion, so hopefully, he scores a few tomorrow," Ajer commented.

"Honestly, I've paid very little attention to it [the City situation]. We don't discuss it much here."

"Naturally, a statement was released yesterday, so it's very recent. But we are just footballers; we don't know all the details or everything being reported in the media. We haven't had any in-depth discussions about it where we're well-informed."

Man City Verdict: Haaland's Future Uncertain

Haaland and many of his teammates' futures could face serious doubt following the verdict, as the punishment remains undecided.

No penalty is reportedly off the table, with speculation suggesting the club might be expelled from the Premier League. This outcome would almost certainly lead to players like Haaland leaving.

No current players have commented on the verdict. City, however, has issued a new statement reaffirming their strong denial of the claims and asserting they possess irrefutable evidence to clear their name.