Haaland misses Ballon d'Or gala to watch friend clinch Swedish title

MALMO, Sweden (AP) — Erling Haaland skipped the Ballon d'Or gala in Paris on Monday to watch a friend clinch the Swedish league title with Malmo instead.

The Manchester City striker, who was nominated for the Ballon d'Or but was not considered among the favorites, was seen in the stands in Malmo as the defending Swedish champion beat IFK Goteborg 2-1 to secure the title with two rounds remaining.

He posted a picture on Instagram of himself wearing a Malmo jersey, which has the same light blue color as City's shirt.

Haaland's Norwegian friend Erik Botheim plays for Malmo as a forward.

Malmo, which is eight points clear of Hammarby in the league table, has won the Swedish title a record 24 times.

Because of the long winter, the Swedish league starts in the spring and ends in the fall unlike most of the European leagues.

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