Following their shocking 3-1 Champions League defeat to Bodo/Glimt in Norway, Manchester City players have decided to refund the travelling fans for the cost of their match tickets. The gesture comes after what has been described as an "embarrassing" performance by Erling Haaland, with the loss ranking among the most significant upsets in Champions League history.
A total of 374 Manchester City fans made the long journey to Bodo, enduring freezing conditions inside the Arctic Circle. Most supporters flew to Oslo before connecting to Bodo. The total refund will amount to £9,357.
The City squad released a statement acknowledging the sacrifices made by their fans. "Our supporters mean everything to us," the statement read. "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". The statement continued, "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," the statement concluded.
Haaland took responsibility for the defeat, particularly for his failure to score. "I take full responsibility for not being able to score. I apologise to everyone every single City supporter that travelled," Haaland stated.
The loss to Bodo/Glimt came just four days after Manchester United defeated City at Old Trafford, adding to a worrying run of form for Pep Guardiola's side. City has only won two of their last seven matches in all competitions. Midfielder Rodri was sent off during the match after receiving two yellow cards in quick succession.
City now turns its attention to their Premier League match against Wolverhampton Wanderers. They will then face Galatasaray in the Champions League. The team hopes to get back to winning ways after a damaging week.
Kevin Parker, speaking on behalf of the official supporters club, said, "City fans will travel to the ends of the earth to support our team". The players' gesture to refund tickets highlights the strong connection between the team and its loyal fanbase.
