Haaland leads Viking row at Donnarumma wedding

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Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland has once again proven he is the life of the party after being filmed leading a "Viking row" at the wedding of his teammate Gianluigi Donnarumma. The prolific striker took to the stage to orchestrate the viral celebration that became a global sensation during the World Cup.

The Viking row makes an unlikely comeback

Haaland had wedding guests in fits of laughter after reviving the celebration that made him and his Norway teammates a global talking point this summer. The routine, now widely known simply as the "row", sees one person set a rhythm by striking a drum twice before everyone seated nearby leans back and forth in unison, chanting the word as they go.

It was a craze that took off across the United States during the tournament, with the Norwegian squad putting their own spin on it pitch-side after eliminating Brazil, a celebration spearheaded at the time by captain Martin Odegaard.

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

This time, though, it was Haaland behind the drum rather than out on the pitch, as he took to the stage at the wedding of Man City teammate Donnarumma. The Italian goalkeeper married his long-term partner, Alessia Elefante, in a grand ceremony held in his home country.

Fresh off celebrating his own 26th birthday just days earlier, Haaland threw himself into the moment with characteristic enthusiasm, striking up the beat while a large group of guests sat down and rowed along in sync. At one point, he burst out laughing and had to pause proceedings to walk one bemused guest through exactly how the celebration worked, much to the amusement of everyone watching on.

All-star guest list joins the fun

Haaland was in attendance at the ceremony alongside his partner Isabel Haugseng Johansen, joining a guest list that read like a who’s who of Italian and European football. The wedding, held in the picturesque setting of Locorotondo, featured several of Donnarumma's international colleagues and legendary figures from the game. Former AC Milan icon Paolo Maldini was among the guests, as were current stars Sandro Tonali and Nicolo Barella.

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Man City look ahead to Maresca era

City now turn their attention to life under new head coach Enzo Maresca, who succeeds Pep Guardiola after the Spaniard brought the curtain down on a decade in charge at the Etihad Stadium. Guardiola departs having transformed City into the dominant force in English football, amassing an extraordinary 20 major trophies during his ten-year reign – more silverware than the club had won in its entire 136-year history before his arrival.

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 campaign standing as the crowning achievement of his tenure.