Manchester City’s furry alien mascot ‘Moonbeam’ claimed she was left with a concussion and whiplash after superstar striker Erling Haaland struck her on the back of the head
Manchester City’s mascot claims she was left with ‘whiplash and a concussion‘ after Erling Haaland allegedly knocked her on the back of her head. The woman, who also works in the club’s ticket office, was taking pictures with fans as mascot ‘Moonbeam’ before a match against Southampton when she claims she was struck by the Norwegian forward.
The employee was taken to the hospital following the incident, complained to the club and lodged an assault claim with the police, the Sun reports.
The individual claims she was left “in shock” following the incident, which she says happened while she was posing for a photo as Moonbeam.
Initially, she thought it might have been a stray ball, rather than one of City’s players, responsible for the blow to the back of her head.
A City spokesperson told the Sun the club “fully investigated and found that none of the evidence, including video footage, backed up the claim that an injury was sustained in the manner alleged”.
The spokesperson also said: “We’re also aware a complaint was made to Greater Manchester Police and no further action was taken by them either.”
The incident reportedly took place around an October meeting with the struggling Saints. Haaland scored the only goal of the game in the fifth minute for what was, at the time, a third league win on the spin.
City lost their next four league games, though, as they slid out of the title race in the autumn. Haaland scored once in that run, in a defeat away to Brighton in early November.
Haaland signed a bumper nine-and-a-half-year contract with City in January.
He is City’s top scorer in the Premier League this season with 21 goals, with only Mohamed Salah of Liverpool scoring more, and he scored eight in nine Champions League games before injury problems prevented him from leaving the bench as Pep Guardiola’s team were eliminated by Real Madrid.
“I have said about 300 times why I signed a nine-and-a-half year contract,” he said earlier in March. “I spoke to the club, got a good feeling, and agreed to it in the end. That’s why.”
The former Borussia Dortmund star has been away with the Norwegian national team during the most recent international break. He scored a goal apiece against Moldova and Israel to get Norway’s World Cup qualifying campaign off to a winning start.
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