Erling Haaland’s 23-minute hat-trick not considered legitimate in Germany thanks to Dortmund pal Jadon Sancho’s goal

ERLING HAALAND’S latest hat-trick is not considered “proper” in Germany because of a bizarre quirk in the country. The superstar teen announced himself with a superb 23-minute treble after making his Borussia Dortmund debut off the bench. But Germans only consider it a true hat-trick if the goals are consecutive and England international Jadon Sancho […]

ERLING HAALAND’S latest hat-trick is not considered “proper” in Germany because of a bizarre quirk in the country.

The superstar teen announced himself with a superb 23-minute treble after making his Borussia Dortmund debut off the bench.

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But Germans only consider it a true hat-trick if the goals are consecutive and England international Jadon Sancho struck between Haaland’s first and second efforts.

German football expert Raphael Honigstein told BBC Radio 5 Live: “In Germany, for some reason, we don’t consider this a proper hat-trick.

“It needs to be in one half, but also, nobody scoring in between. We are so German we don’t consider it a hat-trick.

“Haaland doesn’t care. I saw him going off with the match ball.”

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Haaland, 19, was pictured holding the match ball with a beaming grin on his face after an incredible Bundesliga bow.

He told the BBC: “I’m at a fantastic club with great team-mates and good people around me. I came here to score goals and it was a good debut for me.”

Manchester United missed out on Haaland as he snubbed offers from clubs all over Europe to join Dortmund in an £18.5million deal.

And he proved he is ready to step up to the next level with a match-winning display that saw him reach 31 goals in just 23 appearances for Red Bull Salzburg and Dortmund this season.

Haaland already has six hat-tricks in 2019-20 – if you include yesterday’s heroics –  with half of the campaign left to play.