ERLING HAALAND’S latest hat-trick is not considered “proper” in Germany because of a bizarre quirk in the country.
The superstar teen announced himself with a superb 23-minute treble after making his Borussia Dortmund debut off the bench.
Erling Haaland took home the match ball but some Germans would claim his hat-trick was not legitimateCredit: Alamy Live News
But Germans only consider it a true hat-trick if the goals are consecutive and England international Jadon Sancho struck between Haaland’s first and second efforts.
German football expert Raphael Honigstein told BBC Radio 5 Live: “In Germany, for some reason, we don’t consider this a proper hat-trick.
“It needs to be in one half, but also, nobody scoring in between. We are so German we don’t consider it a hat-trick.
“Haaland doesn’t care. I saw him going off with the match ball.”
Haaland, 19, was pictured holding the match ball with a beaming grin on his face after an incredible Bundesliga bow.
He told the BBC: “I’m at a fantastic club with great team-mates and good people around me. I came here to score goals and it was a good debut for me.”
Manchester United missed out on Haaland as he snubbed offers from clubs all over Europe to join Dortmund in an £18.5million deal.
And he proved he is ready to step up to the next level with a match-winning display that saw him reach 31 goals in just 23 appearances for Red Bull Salzburg and Dortmund this season.
Haaland already has six hat-tricks in 2019-20 – if you include yesterday’s heroics – with half of the campaign left to play.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
