Haaland farewell marred by drugs test
ERLING HAALAND bade an emotional farewell to Borussia Dortmund as he scored in his final game ahead of his big money move to Manchester City. On the closing day of the Bundesliga campaign, Haaland netted the equaliser from the penalty spot in Dortmund’s 2-1 victory over Hertha Berlin. Haaland, who scored 86 goals in 89 appearances for Dortmund, will join Pep Guardiola’s side in the summer for £51million.
‘It has been nothing but a pleasure and an honour to wear this shirt,’ Haaland said in an Instagram post. ‘At Dortmund, I’ve spent memorable moments, met special people and extraordinaire team-mates, not to mention a fan base that has been always our extra man on the pitch.
‘The Yellow Wall is truly incredible and something that you need to witness at least once in your life. I’ll never forget any of this.’
Haaland had stood in front of the Yellow Wall — the 25,000capacity grandstand inside the Signal Iduna Park — before kickoff to soak in the applause from the Dortmund supporters.
His father, Alf-Inge Haaland, the former Leeds star, watched the game from a box.
Haaland slotted the ball down the middle before taking the acclaim of the Yellow Wall one last time.
The 21-year-old was substituted late on and received a standing ovation. It was not quite the perfect ending for Haaland, who later kicked the dressing room door in frustration at being chosen after the game for a drugs test.
Dortmund branded the game ‘Goodbye Day’, as club favourites Michael Zorc and Marcel Schmelzer also bid farewell.