Bellamy backs Haaland to ignore Man City scandal ahead of Wales vs Norway

Wales manager Craig Bellamy refused to be drawn on Manchester City’s Premier League guilty verdict at his pre-match press conference on Wednesday, insisting the matter had no bearing on his preparations for Thursday’s Nations League fixture against Norway.

City were found guilty by a Premier League commission of breaching financial rules, with potential punishments including relegation, a points deduction, and a substantial fine still to be determined. Bellamy, who spent two seasons at the Etihad between 2009 and 2011, acknowledged his connection to the club but kept his response brief.

“I’ve played for so many clubs we’ll be here all day,” he said. “This doesn’t involve Norway tomorrow. We can talk about it another time. But at this present moment, off the back of three losses, playing Norway tomorrow, it’s the furthest thing on my mind.”

The Welsh boss will come face-to-face with City striker Erling Haaland in the fixture, and he was emphatic that the scandal would not dull the Norwegian’s edge in front of goal.

“I don’t think he’ll be distracted,” Bellamy said. “The guy’s a machine. Have you seen his record at international level? He just wants to score. That ain’t stopping him. If you love football, you have to appreciate him. He’s world-class. It’s very rare you have a player who’s this size and has this mobility.”

Bellamy drew a striking historical comparison to frame Haaland’s current dominance. “You know when you see certain moments in sporting careers? You remember the Jonah Lomu factor? We’re coming through the Haaland factor at this present moment. The game will adapt — it’s how we’re able to combat that which is gonna be another challenge, but an exciting challenge.”

Haaland had already attracted attention earlier in the week after being withdrawn from Norway’s scheduled pre-match media duties, a day after City’s guilty verdict was made public. He was replaced by teammates Fredrik Aursnes and Andreas Schjelderup, prompting speculation that the Etihad had intervened.

Norway head coach Stale Solbakken moved quickly to shut down that narrative. “I haven’t spoken to anyone at Manchester City about the media since Erling was to move from Dortmund to City,” he said. “That was the last time I spoke to City about the media. It’s a lie. It also undermines my integrity.”

Solbakken confirmed the decision was his alone. “This was a decision I made without informing Erling. I just said: ‘You can let this go. If you want to go, then you go. But for me you are exempt.’”