Many football fans have probably heard of Alf-Inge Haaland. Apart from being the father of one of the best footballers on the planet, Erling Haaland, many remember him from his Premier League days when he and Roy Keane did everything they could to end each other's careers with rough starts.
At the same time, few people knew about Erling's mother, Gri Marita Braut, except in their native Norway, where she was a heptathlon champion.
The phenomenal goalscorer decided to change that - Braut Haaland now appears above the number nine on his jersey. Something that is common and normal in Norway, but also a way for Erling to show respect for his mother and her family.
In Spain, it is standard for every child to have their mother's surname in addition to their father's, and it is similar in Portugal, while in the Italian Serie A, during the weekend of Mother's Day, all players wore their mother's surname above the number on their jersey.
Erling's completely normal move, if you're from Norway, sparked great interest around the world, many didn't know where Braut was coming from when he had only been known as Haaland throughout his career. And the reason was obviously the nicest possible.
After all, Erling always said that he fell in love with football because of his dad, but that he inherited his physical fitness, work habits, and discipline from his mother.
Something similar still works far away in Montenegro - perhaps football players could be the first to set an example.
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