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Erling Haaland is one of soccer's grandest personalities. That doesn't mean he's a favorite to all, however.
The Manchester City and Norway striker's style of play and demeanor has at times proved grating to Premier League legend Roy Keane. The former Manchester United midfielder, now a pundit, has fired barbs in the gifted goal-scorer's directions.
That has led some to wonder what is the nature of their relationship — and how Keane's conflict with Haaland's father, Alf-Inge, might have played a role in it.
With that, here's a look at Keane and Haaland's "beef", a conflict nearly 30 years in the making.
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Who is Roy Keane?
Regarded as one of the finest players in Premier League history, Roy Keane starred for Ireland and Manchester United. A tough tackler and dogged competitor, the Cork native enjoyed his best years with the Reds, hoisting seven Premier League trophies, four FA Cups and a Champions League during his Manchester United career.
Keane was named to five PFA Team of the Years, earned two Sir Matt Busby Player of the Years (1999, 2000) and the FWA Footballer and PFA Players' Player of the Year in 2000. He was elected to the English Football Hall of Fame and Pele's FIFA 100 list in 2004. Keane was included as part of the inaugural class to be inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame in 2021.
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Roy Keane comments on Erling Haaland
Keane has battered Haaland in the press at times, labeling him a "spoiled brat" after being brought off during a May 2024 fixture and claiming he was playing "like a League Two player" after Machester City drew 0-0 with Arsenal in March 2024.
Haaland didn't seem too fussed by Keane's assessments. The Norwegian striker followed up the dry patch that precipitated Keane's March 2024 comments with a scoring flurry. After tallying four goals in a 5-1 win over Wolves, Haaland revealed that he had little interest in Keane's statements.
"I don't really care that much about that man, so that's all right," Haaland said, per the BBC.
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Roy Keane vs. Aflie Haaland
If Haaland and Keane's so-called "feud" is bad, Haaland's father's relationship with Keane is undoubtedly worse. The two were rivals during their playing careers, with Haaland's dad — Alf-Inge — earning plaudits for his displays at Man City.
Combative in the tackle, Alfie Haaland was an apt adversary for Keane. They came into conflict plenty of times across their times in England.
Alfie Haaland starts bad blood in 1997
Alfie Haaland landed the first strike in his war of words. During a 1997 clash between Alfie's Leeds and Keane's Manchester United, Alfie stood over the Manchester United midfielder and yelled at him for purportedly embellishing the effect of an innocuous coming together.
As it turned out, Keane wasn't feigning injury; he had torn his ACL.
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Roy Keane 2001 tackle on Alfie Haaland
Keane caught Alfie with a naughty knee-high tackle two years during a derby clash four years later. With the ball in possession of Alfie Haaland, Keane caught him studs up on the knee. He was summarily issued a red card in an incident that lives on in the collective memory of City and United supporters.
Keane addressed the tackle in his autobiography, admitting that he had intended to inflict pain on his opposite number for his antics four years prior.
“I’d waited long enough. I f----ng hit him hard," Keane wrote, per Sports Illustrated. "The ball was there [I think]. Take that you c---. And don’t ever stand over me again accusing me of fake injuries.”
Keane was suspended eight games in total and fined more than $200,000 as a result of his admission that the tackle had been premeditated.
What happened to Erling Haaland's dad?
Alfie was forced into retirement prematurely after dealing with leg issues. The problems in question were related to his left knee, however — not the right one that Keane had threatened.
In fact, Alfie completed the match against Manchester United after absorbing the full force of Keane's cleat.
Nevertheless, Alfie was out of the sport by 2003, although he turned out briefly for Norwegian side Rosseland in the early 2010s.
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