Manchester City players to refund cost of match tickets for travelling fans after Bodo horror show

Manchester City’s players will refund the cost of the matchday ticket for fans that travelled to Norway last night for the 3-1 defeat to Bodo/Glimt.

City’s expensively assembled squad were beaten 3-1 in the Champions League and produced an abject performance that has jeopardised their hopes of securing a top-eight finish and an automatic route into the last 16.

City were cheered on by 374 fans inside the Arctic Circle, with each paying around £25 for a match ticket.

The club’s captaincy group of Erling Haaland, Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias and Rodri, who was sent off after being booked twice in 53 seconds, will cover the cost that totals around £9,357.

A statement from the quartet read: “Our supporters mean everything to us.

“We know the sacrifice that our fans make when they travel across the world to support us home and away and we will never take it for granted. They are the best fans in the world.

“We also recognise that it was a lot of travelling for the fans who supported us in the freezing cold throughout a difficult evening for us on the pitch.

“Covering the cost of these tickets for the fans who travelled to Bodo is the least we can do.”

Fans appreciative of offer from Manchester City players

Kevin Parker, a spokesperson for the club’s official supporters’ club, told the BBC: “City fans will travel to the ends of the earth to support our team, and last night was no different in the Arctic Circle.

“Bodo is not an easy place to get to, and the sub zero temperatures made it a challenging evening on a number of levels for our fans.

“The City support has an incredible connection with the players on a matchday, and this gesture is yet another reminder of that relationship – it means a lot to us.

“We know that the players are disappointed with the defeat to Bodo, but with our next game at home on Saturday there’s a chance to get back to winning ways and our fans will be in full voice.”

It was embarrassing, admitted Manchester City star Haaland

City produced a woeful display against a team in between seasons and without a competitive game since their last Champions League outing – a 2-2 draw at Borussia Dortmund on December 10.

“I don’t have the answers. I take full responsibility of not being able to score the goals I should do,” Haaland told TNT Sports after the game. “I just apologise to everyone; every single Man City supporter and every single supporter that travelled today, because in the end it’s embarrassing.

“Bodo played some incredible football and in the end it’s deserved. Honestly, I don’t know what to say because I don’t have the answers, and what I can say is sorry.”

Boss Pep Guardiola admitted “everything was going wrong” with the setback coming hot on the heels of a 2-0 defeat at Old Trafford in the Manchester derby on Saturday.

“Today was an incredible opportunity for us,” Guardiola said, “but everything is going wrong, going against us in many details. That’s a fact and we have to try to change it. The players are there and we tried.

“I don’t have any doubt that in this competition, nothing is for granted, that’s for sure. United were better than us [Saturday]. Today it was momentum that punished us.”