Noel Gallagher was once headbutted by the father of a Manchester City star (Image: Getty)
Noel Gallagher had to cut short his Manchester City title celebrations after being accidentally headbutted by Ruben Dias’ dad. The 57-year-old, who has just reconciled with his brother Liam Gallagher to reunite Oasis after 15 years, was left bruised and bloodied from the incident but didn’t let it ruin his day.
Like Liam, Noel is a lifelong City fan and was present at the Etihad Stadium when Pep Guardiola’s side staged a dramatic comeback against Aston Villa on the final day of the 2021/22 season to snatch the Premier League title from Liverpool’s grasp. Shortly after Ilkay Gundogan scored City’s decisive goal with nine minutes remaining, Gallagher unintentionally collided with Dias’ father, Joao, who was wildly celebrating nearby.
The impact left Gallagher with two black eyes and stitches in his lip, yet he still called the day “one of the best ever”. He explained the madness on talkSPORT: “So as the third goal goes in, right, there is absolute bedlam.
“As you can imagine, in the stadium where we sit, Ruben Dias’ family are in the box, a couple of boxes up. So I’m jumping around like an idiot, passing my 11-year-old son around like the Premier League trophy, everyone is lifting him up, and I turn around and Ruben Dias’ dad runs straight into me, headbutts me while I’m on the floor covered in blood.”
Noel explained that he missed the closing moments of the game after stadium staff escorted him to an ambulance. However, on his way back, he crossed paths with a jubilant Pep Guardiola in the corridor.
“I’ve got stitches in my top lip, I’ve got two black eyes as I’m going down the corridor Pep’s running up crying and we kind of hug each other and he says ‘What’s up with your face?’ And I was like, ‘Go see the players, nothing to do with me’.
Noel Gallagher, pictured here with Pep Guardiola, is a huge Man City fan (Image: Getty)
“And if you’ve seen me today, I look like I’ve just arrived home from the eighties, from Elland Road,” Noel added. “I look like I’ve had my head smashed in. It’s unbelievable.”
When asked how Dias Sr. fared in the impact, Noel insisted he didn’t have a single mark on him. “He’s a big bear of a man,” he said. “He almost knocked my teeth out. But as days go at the Etihad that’s got to be up there with the best.”
Dias, who joined City from Benfica in 2020, has been a fixture in the team’s defence ever since. Approaching 200 appearances, he has collected nine major trophies, including four Premier League titles and the Champions League.
Noel on the other hand rose to fame in the early ’90s when Oasis broke into the mainstream. As the band’s primary songwriter, lead guitarist, and co-lead vocalist, he helped define their sound. Oasis disbanded in 2009 after Noel’s departure, with lingering tension 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 set for 2025.
Source: https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1941030/Man-City-Noel-Gallagher-headbutt-Oasis-reunion