Erling Haaland takes legal action against Norwegian airline

Erling Haaland has taken legal action against Norwegian airline Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA over the use of his image in an advertisement.

At the center of the dispute is an advertising campaign by the company in which the Manchester City striker’s distinctive hairstyle was used in a photo montage featuring an airplane. The advertisement was published during the World Cup and accompanied by the phrase: “We’ve never felt more Norwegian.”

The post has since been removed from the social media accounts, while Haaland has decided to take the matter to court, CE Report quotes Kosova Press.

The footballer has been associated for years with his distinctive ponytail, which has become part of his recognizable appearance both at Manchester City and with the Norwegian national team. However, he changed his hairstyle at the beginning of this season, reports Oranews.

Norwegian Air Shuttle, for its part, says it did not anticipate that the post would lead to legal proceedings.

“It is difficult for us to understand why we ended up in court. Like almost everyone else in Norway, we supported the national team during the summer. We did so through several spontaneous posts inspired by trends on social media,” said spokesperson Catharina Solli.

She added that the company regrets that the situation has taken this direction and hopes the matter can be resolved through dialogue.

Haaland’s lawyer, Thomas Hagen, takes a different view and claims that the basis of the lawsuit is clear.

“This case concerns the illegal use of Haaland’s distinctive features by Norwegians to sell airline tickets during the World Cup finals,” Hagen said.

Haaland scored seven goals for Norway during the tournament, with the national team reaching the quarter-finals.

Photo: Instagram/erling