Few are aware of the explosive performance of the towering Norwegian striker, Erling Haaland, in the colors of Manchester City, all thanks to his “noodle hat-trick.”
Erling Haaland, emerging as a veritable artillery on the forefront of Manchester City’s attack, has scored 52 goals across all competitions for Pep Guardiola’s contingent in the previous season. In the current season, his tally stands at 29 goals across all fronts. Impressively, Haaland leads the Premier League 2023/24 Golden Boot race with 18 goals for Manchester City.
According to recent reports published in The Sun, Haaland’s goal-scoring prowess is apparently inspired by his favorite Italian restaurant. Specifically, the 23-year-old goal-scoring machine frequently indulges in a special dish of pasta tubes, cream, and mushrooms at Vero Moderno restaurant in Salford. It turns out that Haaland has been dining at this restaurant almost weekly for the past two years.
Haaland’s meals are personally prepared by Beppe Piccoli, the owner of Vero Moderno restaurant. Beppe reminisces that he first served Haaland before the start of the 2022/23 season, jokingly saying, “When you score a hat-trick, remember to thank Beppe and Vero Moderno.” Subsequently, Haaland returned and requested the same pasta dish, to which Beppe reminded him, “Last time, you didn’t thank me. Do that when you score another hat-trick.” This marked the beginning of their friendly relationship. Beppe recalls, “We still joke about the ‘noodle hat-trick’ to this day.”
Interestingly, Haaland’s lucky meal seems to have inspired his teammates at Manchester City as well. Evidence of this is seen in Jack Grealish, Ruben Dias, and Rodri, who have also frequented Vero Moderno restaurant. Even Pep Guardiola, the manager who owns a lavish restaurant in Manchester, has visited Vero Moderno to enjoy the praised dishes by his players.
Furthermore, it is worth mentioning Dr. Max Sala, an Italian physician in the medical department of Manchester City FC, who is also a regular customer. Beppe shares, “Sala always comes with colleagues from the medical department at Man City. They seek authentic Italian cuisine in Manchester. They are all very kind and generous customers. Sala and his colleagues just want to be treated like regular customers.”
In fact, studies show that noodles are a beneficial food for health as they are made from grains, providing abundant energy and essential nutrients such as vitamin B and fiber. This isn’t the first time Haaland has revealed that his dietary regimen has helped him become one of the world’s most formidable strikers.
Haaland has also surprised many by disclosing his fondness for consuming animal hearts and livers as part of his daily diet. He also admits to drinking water through a complex filtration system, enjoying ice baths, and wearing blue light-filtering glasses to improve sleep, alongside maintaining a diet of 6,000 calories per day.