After Manchester City secured a 2-1 away victory against Nottingham Forest yesterday, the players found humor in manager Pep Guardiola's playful threat to those who might overindulge during the Christmas mini-break he granted them.
Guardiola had announced three days off but warned his squad against excess: "They can eat, but I want to monitor them. As soon as they return to training, they're straight on the scales! Anyone with extra pounds won't make the squad for the Nottingham Forest match."
There might be a player who is at their ideal weight today but returns three kilograms heavier. At that point, they'll stay in Manchester. When they come back after three days of rest, I want to see how they feel," Pep Guardiola promised.
Pep's warning seemingly "mobilized" Erling Haaland. Manchester City's Norwegian striker not only made sure to avoid culinary excesses over Christmas but also responded with a photo posted on Instagram.
Erling Haaland: "Now you can eat, DonnaKebabRumma!"
The photo showed him on a scale, with the needle indicating 94.4 kilograms. The Citizens' top scorer's comment: "Everything is fine."
The post immediately went viral, sparking reactions from fans and the Norwegian's teammates alike. Among the first was goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, who responded with a series of smiling emojis, appreciating Haaland's sense of humor.
The "telenovela" continued with a new episode, starring the Italian goalkeeper and Manchester City's goalscorer after the Citizens' 2-1 success against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
At the end of the match at the City Ground, Gigio Donnarumma posted a series of photos on Instagram, accompanied by the comment: "Christmas 2025: 3 points and weight test passed." The post garnered over 230,000 likes and more than 1,300 fan reactions within 18 hours.
Among the comments, Haaland's playful jab at his teammate's physique stood out: "Now you can eat, DonnaKebabRumma!" A humorous wordplay on the popular Doner Kebab, which drew reactions from over 400 internet users.