"He’s always drinking at matches." Roy Keane slams Haaland’s father in fiery outburst
Jan Novak
Dailysports's expert
Manchester United legend Roy Keane delivered a scathing response to Alf-Inge Haaland’s criticism of the refereeing after Norway’s 2-1 quarter-final defeat to England at the 2026 World Cup.
Erling Haaland’s father had earlier claimed that the referee made mistakes which affected the outcome of the match. However, Keane flatly rejected that assessment.
Will he even remember this match? It seems like he’s always drinking alcohol at games. If you’ve had a drink, you see the match in a completely different way. A push was a push. You can argue about some decisions, but you can’t say the referee cost Norway the win,
Keane declared.
The Irishman’s remarks sparked an instant uproar, as the feud between the two men has lasted over two decades. Back in 2001, while playing for Manchester United, Keane infamously launched a brutal tackle on Alf-Inge Haaland during a Manchester derby. Keane went in studs-up on Haaland’s knee and was shown a straight red card. The incident remains one of the most notorious fouls in Premier League history.
Although Alf-Inge Haaland’s career didn’t end immediately after that clash, severe knee problems and the cumulative effect of multiple injuries soon forced him to retire. Keane later admitted in his autobiography that the tackle was intentional, earning him a lengthy ban and a hefty fine.
