Manchester City Players Personally Refund Fan Tickets After Champions League Shock

2026-01-21 community

Manchester, 21 January 2026
Manchester City’s four captains will pay nearly £10,000 from their own pockets to refund tickets for 374 supporters who travelled to Norway’s Arctic Circle. The unprecedented gesture follows their humiliating 3-1 defeat to Bodø/Glimt, marking one of the Champions League’s biggest upsets this season.

Leadership Group Takes Responsibility

The quartet of Bernardo Silva, Rúben Dias, Erling Haaland and Rodri announced the refund in a joint statement, with the bill for 374 tickets totalling nearly £10,000 ($13,400) [1]. Speaking on behalf of the squad, the leadership group declared: “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” [1]. The captains acknowledged the harsh conditions supporters endured, stating: “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 Bodø is the least we can do” [1].

Arctic Conditions and Devastating Defeat

The match took place at Bodø/Glimt’s Aspmyra Stadion, which has a capacity of just 8,000, with temperatures plummeting to -1°C at kick-off [4]. The 404 travelling City supporters witnessed one of the competition’s most shocking results as their team was comprehensively outplayed by the Norwegian champions [4]. Kasper Høgh struck twice in the 22nd and 24th minutes before Jens Petter Hauge added a third in the 58th minute, leaving City trailing 3-0 [3][4]. Despite Rayan Cherki pulling one back in the 60th minute, the evening grew worse when Ballon d’Or winner Rodri was sent off after receiving two yellow cards in quick succession [3][4].

Scale of the Upset Becomes Clear

The magnitude of Tuesday evening’s defeat becomes apparent when examining the financial disparity between the clubs. Bodø/Glimt posted revenues of £52 million in their 2024 accounts, whilst Manchester City reported £694 million in their accounts last year [7] - a revenue difference of 642 million [7]. The Norwegian side had ended their domestic league season in November 2025, losing the title to Viking by just one point, and were effectively in pre-season mode [4][7]. Despite controlling only 31% of possession during the match, Bodø/Glimt’s clinical finishing exposed City’s defensive frailties, particularly down the left flank [4].

Immediate Consequences and Future Fixtures

The defeat leaves Manchester City in seventh place in the Champions League standings with 13 points, though they remain in contention for automatic qualification to the last 16 [7][8]. However, Rodri’s dismissal means the influential midfielder will miss the crucial final group match against Galatasaray next Wednesday, 28 January [6][8]. Manager Pep Guardiola acknowledged the team’s struggles, admitting: “We have the feeling that everything is going wrong in many details and we have to try to change” [4]. The players concluded their statement with a rallying cry: “We’re ready to fight on Saturday for our game against Wolves and then again next Wednesday when we face Galatasaray in front of our amazing fans at the Etihad” [1]. Erling Haaland was particularly candid about the performance, telling TNT Sports: “I take full responsibility of not being able to score the goals I should do. I just apologise to every single Manchester City supporter, everyone that travelled today, because in the end it’s embarrassing” [4].

Bronnen

Champions League Manchester City