Rival fans are accelerating their unprecedented efforts to deal with Erling Haaland and have set up another tongue-in-cheek petition, this time with the aim of kicking him out of the country.
After his blistering start to life in a Manchester City shirt, it may well take something as drastic as deportation to put an end to Haaland's astonishing scoring run. The Norwegian, 22, has netted a breathtaking 19 goals in 12 appearances across all competitions this season, while also chipping in with three assists.
His latest casualties were Manchester United and Copenhagen, with the former Borussia Dortmund star plundering a hat-trick in the local derby last Sunday and another two goals in the Champions League demolition job three days later. After witnessing his side thrashed 6-3 by City last Sunday, one United fan took matters into his own hands by creating a petition aiming to ban Haaland from playing football.
Set up by an account called 'Ten Hag's Reds!' on website change.org, the petition claimed "it's just not fair" that "robot" Haaland gets to continue plying his trade at the expends of defenders across Europe. While the amusing petition has no chance of actually seeing the player barred from playing football, it highlights just how afraid City's rivals are of the talismanic No. 9, who has already broken all manner of records in the Premier League following his £51million summer arrival from Dortmund.
It appears the number of fans who believe action needs to be taken against Haaland has grown after he took his tally to five Champions League goals in three appearances this season against Copenhagen. Another petition has been set up, this time with the title "Remove Erling Haaland from the UK".
It explains how Haaland's steady stream of goals is spoiling the weekends of "hardworking people" up and down the country. "Erling Haaland is a serious problem," the petition's description reads. "He shows up out of the blue, and consistently ruins the weekends of the hardworking people of this great nation."
How many goals in all competitions will Erling Haaland end the season on? Have your say in the comments!
Haaland has already scored 14 top-flight goals this campaign and the petition notes just how close he is to matching the tally of last season's Golden Boot winners, Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and Tottenham's Son Heung-min. The description continues: "To put it shortly, if things don't change, it will only get worse. This guy is nine league goals away from equalling last seasons golden boot winner."
In a sobering message, the petition calls for action and warns that Haaland has become "a matter of national security". The description concludes: "Now is the time to take action. It was all fun and games at the start, but it is now becoming a matter of national security."
