- Father and son were in Manchester for the PFA Awards on Tuesday evening
- Haaland was named to the organisation’s Team of the Year after player voting
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Erling Haaland‘s father Alfie has shared his son’s thoughts on Marc Cucurella‘s song after the pair met at Stamford Bridge for the first match of the Premier League season.
In the aftermath of being part of Spain’s Euro 2024-winning squad, Cucurella’s infamous celebrations included a song which referenced the Manchester City striker – saying that Haaland ‘trembles’ when he catches sight of the Chelsea defender.
But it was the goalscoring behemoth who had the last laugh on Sunday afternoon, when Haaland bullied past his man to score the first of his campaign, and help the visitors claim a 2-0 victory at Stamford Bridge.
Eagle-eyed fans even noted that Haaland ignored the defender when he went down with cramp during the later stages of the game.
However, the elder Haaland – speaking to Mail Sport at Tuesday evening’s PFA Awards – was adamant that his son had taken the chant in good stead.
Erling Haaland (centre) found himself the unlikely subject of a song in praise of Marc Cucurella
But the player got his own back when the pair met at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League
The Spain international sang the song as part of his team’s raucous post-Euro 2024 celebration
‘I think it’s just a little bit of fun,’ Haaland Snr said of the chant, which Cucurella sang with gusto during his team’s raucous celebrations in Madrid.
‘We think he’s a good player, and he is a funny person. It’s just a little bit of banter. I think Erling likes it.’
Haaland Snr also shed some light on his son’s preparations ahead of the start of the season.
‘Basically first couple of weeks, he comes and parties a little bit with his friends,’ Haaland Snr said, noting that his son did not have tournament football to factor into his break as many of his City team-mates did.
‘Then it’s gradually starting to think about the pre-season, and he behaves after that. So he’s done the same things (as a normal break), it’s worked before, and hopefully it’s working again.
‘He always wants to progress, so hopefully he can get the same (number of goals this season). You know what they say – as long as he can help the team with scoring goals and that stuff, that’s obviously the most important thing.
‘For him (though), it’s nice as a striker to get the confidence thing, through scoring goals.’
Haaland Snr was also full of pride for his son’s continuous drive towards improvement, stressing that he always wants to ‘win, to progress in his playing.’
Alfie Haaland was full of praise for his son’s work ethic and ability to continue his development
The striker looked well rested after his summer break as he scored the first of his new season
Haaland was named to the PFA Team of the Year one year on from winning the PFA’s top prize
‘He’s always trying to find the way to become better,’ he continued. ‘He’s really focused in his daily life, with nutrition, training, everything, just the will to become a better player.
‘There is a plan behind it. he is really focused. the way he lives, stuff like that to just try and get that extra percent to just get a little bit better.’
Haaland missed out on chasing his PFA Player of the Year 2023 with more honours, but did receive a spot in the PFA’s Team of the Year.
His team-mate Phil Foden took home the top prize on the heels of a blistering season in sky blue, while Cucurella’s team-mate Cole Palmer scooped the PFA’s Young Player of the Year.
