With tickets for away games priced at about PS25, Manchester City players have pledged PS9,357 in order to compensate supporters who travelled across the Arctic Circle for the game.
In a statement on behalf of the squad City’s captaincy squad comprised of Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias, Rodri and Erling Haaland made a tribute to the dedication of fans.
“Our supporters are extremely important for us.” The group stated. “We appreciate the sacrifices our fans make in order to support us on our journeys home and abroad frequently around the world and we do not forget that. They are among the greatest fans around the globe.
“We recognize how tiring the journey from Bodo was, particularly in the freezing temperatures and the way they continued to stand by us during an extremely difficult night on the field. The costs of the tickets for them is the most we could do.”
It has also been lauded widely from the team’s Official Supporters’ Club (OSC) even though there were only a few requests from fans to refund the club.
Kevin Parker, a representative of Manchester City’s OSC said “City supporters will travel to any place to show their support for the team, and the trip across Bodo to the Arctic Circle was no exception. Bodo isn’t an easy location to reach and the sub-zero temperatures made for an extremely challenging journey.
“The connection between fans and players on match days is amazing the gesture of this kind is yet another illustration of this bond. It’s a big deal to the fans of our club.”
City was on the sidelines from one of the largest shocks of Champions League history, suffering an unexpected loss to Bodo. The result is that City now require a victory in their final league phase game against Galatasaray to guarantee a top-eight place in the final eight.
Erling Haaland described his game described the performance as “embarrassing” and expressed his regrets to supporters who were travelling following the match. He told TNT Sports: “Bodo played fantastic football and definitely deserved it. I’m not sure what to say other than I am sorry.”
As City returning home on a Saturday, Parker added that fans will be “in full sound” while the squad attempts to rebound.
