ROY TO BE SUED, TWICE
MANCHESTER CITY could join Alf-Inge Haaland in a double legal action
against Roy Keane.
SunSport can reveal that injury has definitely finished Haaland's career. (Ed:
Wasn't it the other leg?)
Now he is almost certain to go ahead with legal action against Manchester
United captain Keane for the horror tackle on him on 21 April 2001.
But City could also sue the Irishman and claim the loss of Haaland for their
final two games of the 2000-01 season affected their chances of staying up in
the Premiership instead of being relegated.
final two games of the 2000-01 season affected their chances of staying up in
the Premiership instead of being relegated.
They may also claim for the loss of their captain, who has not played for a
year and still has two years left on his contract.
If both cases succeed, it could cost Keane a fortune in compensation.
Keane has admitted in his controversial autobiography to fouling the
Norwegian midfielder deliberately — leaving him wide open to action not only
from the player, but City and the FA.
Norwegian midfielder deliberately — leaving him wide open to action not only
from the player, but City and the FA.
While Haaland played part of the next game after that infamous Manchester
derby, a win over West Ham, he missed the season's last two matches.
City went down by eight points. Yet they could argue that, with Haaland in the
side, they could have won those final two games — 2-1 defeats by Ipswich
and Chelsea — and put enough pressure on their rivals, notably
Middlesbrough, to affect the relegation outcome.
side, they could have won those final two games — 2-1 defeats by Ipswich
and Chelsea — and put enough pressure on their rivals, notably
Middlesbrough, to affect the relegation outcome.
Keane could also yet be in trouble with the police for the incident if Haaland
decides to make a complaint.
With his career over, Haaland will be looking to prove how Keane's challenge
was a factor in ending it.
And legal expert Dingle Clark reckons City would have a fighting chance of
forcing Keane to cough up in court.
Clark, a barrister for 20 years, said: "The question is whether doing harm
directly to Alf-Inge Haaland is also doing harm to Manchester City. And a
reasonable man would say 'Yes'. It would be a difficult case, but an arguable
one.
"Keane could counter by claiming that when he set out to harm Haaland he
did not intend to harm City in their fight against relegation.
"It's a rapidly developing area of law over here and American football clubs
have taken action against individual players over their conduct."