Haaland can’t sleep because of former club

Norwegian superstar Erling Haaland is rarely out of the headlines when it comes to footballing achievements, but this time it was not his goalscoring exploits with Manchester City that drew attention. Instead, it was a heartfelt and frustrated outburst about the state of his boyhood club, Bryne FK, that captured headlines in Norway and beyond.

At the halfway point of the domestic season, Bryne find themselves languishing in fourteenth place in the Norwegian league table, teetering dangerously close to the relegation zone. The team’s struggles on the pitch have been mirrored by instability off it, and earlier this week the club shocked its supporters by terminating the contracts of three players: Axel Kryger, Jens Husebo, and Robert Undheim. The decision was significant not only because Kryger and Husebo were considered regulars in the starting lineup, but also because Undheim had been associated with Bryne for more than a decade, serving the club faithfully for eleven years.

For many fans, the move was evidence of a club in crisis, unable to balance its long-term identity with short-term survival. But for Haaland, who came through Bryne’s youth system and made his professional debut there in 2016, the decision hit even harder.

The 24-year-old striker, now one of the most recognizable footballers in the world, has always spoken warmly about his formative years at Bryne. It was there that he developed the habits, mentality, and physical attributes that would later make him one of Europe’s most feared forwards. He spent a full decade in the youth ranks before breaking into the first team at just 15 years old, giving him a direct and personal bond with the small Norwegian club.

So when he learned of the dismissals and the chaotic state of his former team, he turned to Snapchat late at night to voice his frustration. “Tell me, Bryne FK. What on earth is going on?” he wrote, lashing out publicly at the club’s leadership. The message carried the weight of someone who still feels responsible for, and emotionally tied to, the place where his journey began.

The reaction was immediate. Norwegian media picked up the story, while fans of both Bryne and Manchester City began discussing it online. Many sympathized with Haaland’s anger, praising him for showing loyalty to his old club despite the enormous distance geographical and professional between him and the Norwegian league today. Others, however, wondered whether such a high-profile figure publicly criticizing a struggling team might cause more harm than good, adding pressure on an already fragile organization.

Haaland did not stop there. When one follower responded to his post by asking if he shouldn’t be getting some rest instead of writing about Bryne so late at night, he offered a revealing reply. “I really should, yes,” Haaland admitted. “But there is chaos at my old club and that makes me angry, so now I can’t sleep.” It was a raw and honest confession from a player who is usually known for his laser-like focus on football. In this case, the emotional connection to his roots was strong enough to disturb his sleep, even as he continues to lead Manchester City in the Premier League and Champions League.

For Bryne FK, the comments from their most famous graduate have become a double-edged sword. On one hand, they draw global attention to the club and its current plight, something that could potentially lead to pressure on management to act decisively. On the other hand, such attention risks exposing the club’s internal weaknesses to a worldwide audience, leaving little room to deal with problems quietly.

The episode also illustrates the contrasting fortunes of player and club. While Haaland has risen to the very top of world football breaking scoring records in England, lifting trophies, and becoming a household name his first club is battling just to remain relevant in Norwegian football. The disparity underlines just how far Haaland has come, but also how much he still values where it all began.

Supporters of Bryne will now be watching closely to see how the club responds. Will the board explain the sudden dismissals? Can the team improve its form enough to climb out of the relegation fight? And, perhaps most intriguingly, will Haaland’s words have any influence behind the scenes, either in terms of accountability or in rallying supporters to demand change?

For Haaland, the sleepless night serves as proof that even global icons with packed schedules and endless responsibilities are not immune to the pull of their roots. His anger was not about personal matters but about a community and a football institution that shaped him. Whatever happens next, his public defense of Bryne FK will be remembered as a moment when one of football’s biggest stars reminded the world that, at heart, he is still that boy from Bryne who dreamed of greatness.