Manchester City players refund fans after defeat in Norway | OneFootball

Manchester City’s defeat in Norway not only had sporting consequences, but also a strong emotional impact. The 3-1 loss to Bodo/Glimt, on matchday seven of the Champions League, knocked the Citizens out of the direct qualifying spots for the round of 16 and unleashed the anger of the fans who supported the team on a cold and frustrating night. In response to this situation, the squad made an unusual decision: to refund the ticket money to the fans who were present.

The gesture was led by the team’s four captains: Bernardo Silva, Rúben Dias, Erling Haaland, and Rodri, who was also sent off during the match. Through a joint statement, they announced that they would reimburse the ticket value to the 374 supporters who traveled to the city of Bodø, in the north of the Nordic country.

“Our fans mean everything to us. We know the effort they make when they travel around the world to support us, whether at home or away, and we never take it for granted. They are the best in the world,” said the players. They added: “We also recognize what they had to endure in the extreme cold on a very tough night for us on the pitch.”

The message ended with a clear self-criticism and a commitment to an immediate response: “Covering the cost of the tickets is the least we could do. Now we are ready to fight on Saturday against Wolverhampton and on Wednesday against Galatasaray, this time at home, together with our incredible fans at the Etihad.”

According to reports from England, the total amount refunded was around 10,000 pounds sterling, a sum covered directly by the players. Pep Guardiola supported the gesture, as he apologized on the pitch at the end of the match and was blunt in the press conference. “I have no answers. I apologize to all the fans, it was embarrassing,” admitted the coach.

On the sporting side, the blow was hard. With this defeat, City is now 11th in the Champions League table with 13 points, outside the top eight with one match left in the regular phase. Next Wednesday, January 28, they will host Mauro Icardi’s Galatasaray and will be obliged to win, as well as hope for other results, to get back into the direct qualification zone.

Meanwhile, the gesture towards the fans stands as a clear sign of responsibility and self-criticism at a difficult moment for Guardiola’s team.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.