Haaland’s dramatic haircut leaves Guardiola longing for hair of his own

Pep Guardiola reacted with amusement after Erling Haaland revealed a dramatic change to his appearance during a video call, telling his former Manchester City striker: “You are lucky to have hair… I wish I had some.”

Haaland has abandoned the long blond hair that became one of his most recognisable features and opted for a very short haircut at the start of the new season.

The Norwegian forward surprised Guardiola with his new look during a video call shown in a clip published by the Spanish football programme El Chiringuito.

Guardiola laughed when he saw Haaland’s haircut and appeared to place his hand over his face in disbelief. The former Manchester City manager was watching Tottenham’s Premier League match against Brentford on Saturday when the conversation took place.

Despite his initial surprise, Guardiola told Haaland that he liked the new style. He also reassured him that, if he was unhappy with the cut, he could simply wait for his hair to grow again.

The exchange formed part of a longer video published by Haaland on his YouTube channel. The programme included video calls with several prominent footballers, among them Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Jack Grealish.

Haaland’s new appearance comes at the beginning of his first season with Manchester City without Guardiola in charge. Guardiola left the club after the end of last season, bringing their time working together to a close.

The Spaniard had been Manchester City manager while Haaland established himself as one of the leading forwards in world football. Their relationship has frequently attracted attention, but this latest exchange was centred on the striker’s decision to make a significant change to his familiar look.

Footage of Guardiola’s response was shared online with the caption: “Tienes suerte de tener pelo…me encantaria tenerlo” “You are lucky to have hair… I would love to have it.”

The video showed Guardiola continuing to laugh as he took in the unexpected haircut, while Haaland appeared on the call to present the change to his former manager.

The new style marks a clear departure from the long blond hair Haaland had worn during his Manchester City career under Guardiola. This time, however, the discussion was not about his performances on the pitch, but the reaction to a much more personal change at the start of a new chapter for the striker and the club.