Erling Haaland, a striker for Man City, has expressed his displeasure with Pep Guardiola’s propensity to yell at him on the field.
The 23-year-old, who set a new record by scoring 52 goals in a single season, was named UEFA Men’s Player of the Year on Thursday.
In his first season at City, he contributed to the club’s historic triple and had already won several individual honors, including Premier League player of the year and young player of the year.
Haaland has now spoken out against Guardiola’s management style after it occurred under continual impassioned advise from the UEFA Men’s Coach of the Year.
The striker responded, “Good question, I have to admit Pep is a little terrifying sometimes, I have to say, when asked who was scarier between the City manager and his father Alf-Inge Haaland during the awards event. But my dad can also be a little unsettling.
However, I do enjoy it when Pep yells at me because he is trying to get something into my head that he doesn’t believe I possess.
So I like it and I’m not complaining at all since he just wants to improve my football skills.
With 352 points, Haaland easily defeated Lionel Messi (227 points), who was his closest competitor, to win the UEFA award.
Kevin De Bruyne (225 points), Rodri (110 points), and Ilkay Gundogan (129 points), three of his treble-winning Man City teammates, entered the top 10. Gundogan, however, has since left for Barcelona.
The only other players from the Premier League were Declan Rice and Alexis MacAllister.
With three goals through the first three games of the new season, including a stunning goal against Burnley on the first day, Haaland has gotten off to an unsettlingly familiar start.
Aitana Bonmat received the Women’s Player of the Year title after Barcelona won the League and Champions League before Spain won the World Cup in Australia.
The 25-year-old midfielder, who received the Golden Ball award from the competition, was a crucial member of the World Champions team throughout.
Sarina Wiegman, the head coach of England, won the Women’s Coach of the Year award for leading the Lionesses to the World Cup final following their triumph at the Euros the previous year.
