Erling Haaland named for unpaid fine, punishable with ridiculous prison sentence

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland
Erling Haaland has 15 goals in all competitions for Manchester City this season (Image credit: Getty Images)

Watch out when you go to Switzerland to face Young Boys in January, Celtic: you don't want to end up with the fine and threat of an entirely trivial prison stay that Erling Haaland has been reported to be facing at the moment.

The Manchester City striker might just about be able to stretch to paying off the fine that has been posted next to his name out on the banks of Lake Geneva.

Haaland is said to be in talks over a new deal at the Etihad Stadium amid reports of interest from Barcelona, who are said to see Haaland as the ideal replacement for Robert Lewandowski.

Erling Haaland's name appears on Swiss fines list

Erling Haaland of Manchester City celebrates after scoring his first of five goals against RB Leipzig during the Champions League last 16 second leg match at the Etihad Stadium, March 2023

Erling Haaland can afford the fine, we reckon (Image credit: Alamy)

Sport Witness pass on reporting from Swiss outlet Blick, who write that Haaland - or rather, Haaland's name - is listed on the canton of Vaud's 'official notice sheet' of outstanding fines.

No detail has been given as to what Haaland has supposedly been fined for, but we don't imagine he will be losing sleep over the 60 franc fine. That's £53.64, at time of writing.

Erling Haaland pictured with father Alf-Inge Haaland and the Premier League trophy at Manchester City in May 2023.

Alf-Ange Haaland has a home in Switzerland (Image credit: Getty Images)

Failure to pay the fine is technically punishable with one day in prison, but the option would first be given to simply pay the fine and avoid going behind bars.

If that would include an overnight stay, we'd be weighing it up as an option next time we're visiting. Accommodation for the night for £54 in Switzerland? Bargain.

It's not entirely clear when or why Haaland was supposedly in Switzerland, either, with the fine appearing in a notice dated October 25, but the most logical conclusion would be that he was probably visiting his dad, Alf-Inge, who has a home there.

We demand that somebody commission a podcast series looking into the circumstances behind the whole thing.

Haaland started this season in typically blistering form, roaring to ten goals in the first five games of the Premier League season, but has scored just twice in City's past seven league games.

City remain second in the table despite losing their past three games, but have slipped eight points behind leaders Liverpool ahead of the two sides going head-to-head at Anfield on Sunday afternoon.

Steven Chicken

Steven Chicken has been working as a football writer since 2009, taking in stints with Football365 and the Huddersfield Examiner. Steven still covers Huddersfield Town home and away for his own publication, WeAreTerriers.com. Steven is a two-time nominee for Regional Journalist of the Year at the prestigious British Sports Journalism Awards, making the shortlist in 2020 and 2023.