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Erling Haaland once again showed he can be the centre of attention after being captured leading a “Viking row” at the wedding of his Manchester City team-mate Gianluigi Donnarumma. The prolific forward stepped up to direct the viral celebration that turned into a worldwide sensation during the World Cup.

The Viking row makes an unlikely comeback

Haaland had the wedding guests laughing loudly after bringing back the celebration that made him and his Norway team-mates a global talking point this summer. The routine, now commonly called the “row”, involves one person setting the rhythm by hitting a drum twice before everyone seated nearby rocks backwards and forwards together, chanting the word as they move.

It was a craze that spread across the United States during the tournament, with the Norwegian squad adding their own twist to it pitch-side after knocking out Brazil, and captain Martin Odegaard led the celebration at that time.

Haaland takes charge of the drum at Donnarumma's big day

This time, however, Haaland was the one behind the drum rather than on the field, as he took to the stage at the wedding of Man City team-mate Donnarumma. The Italian goalkeeper married his long-time partner, Alessia Elefante, in a grand ceremony in his home country.

Only days after celebrating his own 26th birthday, Haaland threw himself into the moment with his usual energy, setting the beat while a large group of guests sat down and rowed in unison. At one stage, he laughed uncontrollably and had to stop to explain to one puzzled guest exactly how the celebration worked, which drew plenty of amusement from everyone watching.

All-star guest list joins the fun

Haaland attended the ceremony with his partner Isabel Haugseng Johansen, joining a guest list that looked like a who’s who of Italian and European football. The wedding, staged in the scenic setting of Locorotondo, included several of Donnarumma's international team-mates and famous names from the sport. Former AC Milan great Paolo Maldini was among the guests, along with current stars Sandro Tonali and Nicolo Barella.

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Man City look ahead to Maresca era

City are now focusing on life under new head coach Enzo Maresca, who replaces Pep Guardiola after the Spaniard ended a decade in charge at the Etihad Stadium. Guardiola leaves behind a transformed City side that became the dominant force in English football, collecting an extraordinary 20 major trophies across his ten-year spell — more silverware than the club had managed in its entire 136-year history before he arrived.

That remarkable haul includes six Premier League titles, five League Cups, three FA Cups, three Community Shields, the Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup, with the Treble-winning 2022-23 season standing as the defining achievement of his reign.