Norway star Haaland sues airline over ponytail image

A newspaper reported that Norwegian had removed a photomontage from social media showing one of its planes sporting a hairstyle characteristic of Haaland until he recently cut his hair.(AFP) — Norwegian soccer superstar Erling Haaland is suing Norwegian Air Shuttle for unlawfully using his likeness, a lawsuit the airline described as incomprehensible and “regrettable,” the two parties said Thursday.“The case concerns Norwegian’s unlawful use of Haaland’s distinctive signs in its promotion of plane tickets during the football World Cup,” Haaland’s lawyer, Thomas Hagen, said in an email to AFP.Haaland, who plays for Manchester City, helped Norway reach the World Cup quarterfinals this summer in its first appearance in the tournament since 1998. Norway lost 2-1 to England.The exact subject of the dispute is unknown, but the newspaper Verdens Gang reported that Norwegian had removed a photomontage from social media showing one of its planes sporting a ponytail, a hairstyle characteristic of Haaland until he recently cut his hair.“We’ve never looked more Norwegian,” the image’s caption read.The airline confirmed it had received a writ “which we find hard to understand.”“Like almost all of Norway, we supported the national team this summer, through a few spontaneous posts inspired by trends on social media,” spokeswoman Catharina Solli told AFP.“It is regrettable that this support has been met with legal action, but we hope to have a reasonable dialogue so that we can continue, in the future as well, to support our common sport heroes,” she added.According to Verdens Gang, a hearing at Oslo District Court is scheduled for Oct. 9.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads