Noel Gallagher once headbutted by Manchester City star's father (Image: Getty)
Noel Gallagher was forced to cut short his Manchester City title celebrations after being accidentally head-butted by Ruben Dias' father. The 57-year-old, who has just reconciled with brother Liam Gallagher to reunite Oasis after 15 years, was covered in bruises and blood following the incident but didn't let it spoil his day.
Like Liam, Noel is a lifelong City fan and was at the Etihad Stadium when Pep Guardiola's side completed a dramatic comeback against Aston Villa on the final day of the 2021/22 season to snatch the Premier League title from Liverpool. Shortly after Ilkay Gundogan scored City's decisive goal with nine minutes remaining, Gallagher unwittingly collided with Dias' father Joao, who was celebrating wildly nearby.
The impact left Gallagher with two black eyes and stitches to his lip, but he still called it “one of the best days of my life”. He explained the madness on talkSPORT: “Then when the third goal goes in it's absolute chaos.
“As you can imagine, in the stadium where we're sitting, Ruben Dias' family are in the box, a few boxes up. So I'm jumping up and down like an idiot, I'm passing my 11-year-old son like he's the Premier League trophy, everyone's lifting him up, and I turn around and Ruben Dias' dad is running at me, headbutting me while I'm on the ground covered in blood.”
Noel explained that he missed the final moments of the game after stadium staff escorted him to an ambulance. However, on his way back he came across a jubilant Pep Guardiola in the corridor.
“I have stitches in my upper lip, I have two black eyes. As I was walking down the corridor, Pep ran up to me crying and we hugged each other and he said, ‘What’s wrong with your face?’ And I said, ‘Go and see the players, it’s none of my business.’
Noel Gallagher, pictured here with Pep Guardiola, is a big Manchester City fan (Image: Getty)
“And if you saw me today, I look like I've just come back from the 80s, from Elland Road,” Noel added. “I look like I've had my head smashed in. It's unbelievable.”
Asked how Dias Sr. fared on impact, Noel insisted he didn't have a single mark on him. “He's a big bear,” he said. “He nearly knocked my teeth out. But as the days go by at the Etihad, he's probably one of the best.”
Dias, who joined City from Benfica in 2020, has been a fixture in the team's defence ever since. With almost 200 appearances, he has won nine major trophies, including four Premier League titles and the Champions League.
Noel, meanwhile, rose to fame in the early '90s, when Oasis first burst onto the mainstream stage. As the band's primary songwriter, lead guitarist and co-lead vocalist, he helped define their sound. Oasis split in 2009 after Noel's departure, with ongoing tensions between him and his brother Liam leading to years of estrangement.
However, on Tuesday it was revealed that the brothers had reconciled, with Oasis announcing a world tour planned for 2025.
Source: https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1941030/Man-City-Noel-Gallagher-headbutt-Oasis-reunion