Pep Guardiola accuses referees of deliberately 'targeting' Haaland

Speaking to the media, Pep Guardiola recently raised doubts about the referees' calls against Erling Haaland, even when the incidents were not obvious and were merely straightforward contests.

According to the Spanish coach, his star striker is frequently penalized in disputes where, in fact, the tall Norwegian forward should be considered the "victim." Specifically, Guardiola's frustration and irritation stem from Pep Guardiola originated from a controversial moment in the Carabao Cup semi-final between Manchester City and Newcastle United. In that match, Antoine Semenyo's goal for Man City was harshly disallowed after VAR intervention. The organizers announced that, Haaland – who was in an offside position – was judged by the referee to have been involved in the play and obstructed the opponent's movement.

Notably, the VAR review lasted for five and a half minutes, causing significant frustration among players and fans in the stadium, including Guardiola.

At the pre-Manchester derby press conference, Pep Guardiola shared the following: "He is the only striker in the world who gets penalized more often than the fouls committed against him by opposing defenders. That is truly a very interesting characteristic. Perhaps Haaland is the only forward in my coaching career to be called for fouls every time he touches a defender, while the opposite never happens."

The Spanish coach reiterated the promises made by the refereeing council at the start of the season: "At the beginning of the season, referees said things would be handled firmly and decisively to better protect forwards. But the reality is completely opposite. Have you seen what happens inside the penalty area? Frequent pushing and pulling occur, but no whistle is ever blown. I really don't understand why this is the case."

Manchester City will travel to Old Trafford to face their rivals Manchester United. Guardiola's reminder and somewhat sarcastic comments will certainly be more closely watched during Haaland's matches. If Haaland continues to face "issues" with referees, Guardiola will definitely not let it go unnoticed.