Manchester City captains issue statement to supporters following Bodo/Glimt defeat as refund confirmed | OneFootball

The captaincy group in Manchester City’s first-team has confirmed the squad will refund the cost of tickets to supporters who travelled to the 3-1 defeat to Bodo/Glimt this week.

The decision follows another difficult night for Pep Guardiola’s side, in a contest played in extreme conditions in northern Norway and coming just days after the damaging Manchester derby defeat.

City were left chasing the game after conceding twice inside the opening half-hour, before a spectacular third goal early in the second half effectively settled the contest despite Rayan Cherki later pulling one back.

The result deepened the sense of frustration around the club at present, with Pep Guardiola admitting after the match that “everything is going wrong” in key moments, while Erling Haaland issued a public apology to supporters and took responsibility for recent performances.

The striker has also spoken of the “ridiculous” volume of matches being played, highlighting the physical and mental toll of the current schedule. And against that backdrop, attention turned to the travelling support, who made the long journey to the Arctic Circle and backed the team in sub-zero temperatures on an artificial surface.

Now, as reported by the Manchester Evening News’ Simon Bajkowski, Manchester City captains Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias, Erling Haaland, and Rodri have confirmed its intention for the squad to pay almost £10,000 to cover the cost of tickets of all 374 fans who travelled to the 3-1 defeat to Bodo/Glimt in the Arctic Circle.

The quartet collectively agreed that they should at least give any fans who travelled to Norway their money back for the game and a gesture of £9,357 has now been confirmed.

A statement from the captaincy group was also issued, reading, “Our supporters mean everything to us. We know the sacrifice that our fans make when they travel across the world to support us home and away and we will never take it for granted. They are the best fans in the world.

“We also recognise that it was a lot of travelling for the fans who supported us in the freezing cold throughout a difficult evening for us on the pitch. Covering the cost of these tickets for the fans who travelled to Bodo is the least we can do.

“We’re ready to fight on Saturday for our game against Wolves and than again next Wednesday when we face Galatasaray in front of our amazing fans at the Etihad.”

Speaking on behalf of the Official Supporters Club, Kevin Parker also told reporters, “Manchester City fans will travel to the ends of earth to support our team, and last night was no different in the Arctic Circle.

“Bodo is not an easy place to get to, and the sub zero temperatures made it a challenging evening on a number of levels for our fans.

“The City support has an incredible connection with the players on a matchday, and this gesture is yet another reminder of that relationship – it means a lot to us.

“We know the players are disappointed with the defeat to Bodo, but with our next game at home on Saturday there’s a chance to get back to winning ways and out fans will be in full voice, backing the team as they always do.”

The gesture is likely to be warmly received by supporters at a time when results have faltered and pressure is mounting across competitions, whilst also reinforcing the leadership role being taken by Manchester City’s senior figures during a turbulent period.

Attention now turns to domestic action this weekend against Wolves at the Etihad Stadium before a decisive European fixture against Galatasaray, where automatic qualification into the Champions League’s last-16 remains on a knife-edge.

With Pep Guardiola demanding a reaction and players publicly acknowledging their shortcomings, the coming days could prove pivotal in defining whether Manchester City’s season stabilises or continues to drift off course.