Roy Keane hits back at Erling Haaland's dad after England World Cup fury
Alf-Inge Haaland made headlines with his controversial comments in the aftermath of England's 2-1 World Cup semi-final win over Norway on Saturday, with Roy Keane less than impressed
Roy Keane claimed that alcohol may have impaired Alf-Inge Haaland's view of England's 2-1 World Cup semi-final win over Norway on Saturday evening, after the Norwegian lambasted referee, Clement Turpin. It was a stagnant match in large parts for the Three Lions, who struggled to create chances and breach their opponents' back-line.
Andreas Schjelderup gave his nation the lead early in with a seemingly mishit cross finding the back of Jordan Pickford's net from out wide. Jude Bellingham ensured that England headed into half-time on level terms with a silky finish from inside Orjan Nyland's box, before winning the match in extra time from close range.
However, Norway felt aggrieved that they were denied a 2-1 lead in the match due to VAR intervention. Torbjorn Heggem latched onto a loose ball at the back post early into the second-half, before poking it into the top of the England net.
However, due to a push from Erling Haaland on Elliot Anderson ahead of the process of play, Turpin and VAR ruled out the goal to leave the game level at 1-1. It's a move that Alf-Inge seemingly thought that the officials had got wrong, as he hit out on social media at full-time.
He wrote on X: "Well done Bellingham and referee," in sour fashion, as his nation crashed out of the tournament in North America. However, Keane saw things completely differently.
The former Manchester United captain told Stick To Football: "Will he remember the game? Because he always seems to be drinking alcohol at the matches, the dad. No, he does! If you’re having a drink then you’re seeing the game differently.
"Listen, I’ll always be trying to go the other way [against England] a little bit, if it’s 50-50, but the push is a push and then he heads it, so there you go. Families and fans after games, we saw the interviews with the England manager, Bellingham, family members, they’re all a bit emotional so you try and give them the benefit of the doubt.
"But when people wake up tomorrow morning, you won’t be sitting there going, 'The referee’s cost us.' You can’t. You can argue a couple of decisions but you can’t say, 'He’s cost us.' No."
It's a sentiment that Gary Neville echoed as he said: "No, I didn’t think it was a game where, as an England fan, that I thought we were lucky because of the referee. I thought against Ghana we were lucky, when Ezri Konsa’s penalty wasn’t given, and that’s when you are lucky, when you think you’ve got away with one."
Ian Wright, meanwhile, felt as though it was a case of bitterness from Alf-Inge, as he added: "Is that sour grapes from Alf-Inge Haaland, saying well done to Bellingham and the referee? I think that was just a bit of a low blow from him."
From a neutral point of view, Turpin's officiating seemed to be fair. Of course, the Frenchman disallowed Norway's goal, but he also overturned an England penalty which many fans feel Djed Spence rightfully earned.
England and Nike have launched the new home, away and goalkeeper kits to be worn at this summer's FIFA World Cup. You can get free delivery on all orders with the code DEAL.
Get the latest World Cup news straight to your inbox by signing up to our Make Football Great Again newsletter now!
The full-back burst into the Norway box with pace in the first portion of extra-time, before seemingly being brought to ground by Oscar Bobb. While Turpin initially awarded a spot kick, he eventually ruled that Spence had drawn the foul by putting his leg across the full-back to create contact.
As a result of their win, England will now take on Argentina in the semi-finals of the competition on Wednesday, July 15 at 8pm. A win there will see them play either France or Spain in the World Cup final on Sunday, July 19.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.