The Manchester Derby is always a spectacle, and last night’s clash between United and City was no exception. In a game packed with twists and drama, United staged a stunning comeback to secure a 2-1 victory.
Amad and Bruno’s late heroics overshadowed Gvardiol’s early goal for City, leaving fans with plenty to discuss. However, it wasn’t just the scoreline or United’s resilience that captured attention.
A surprising subplot unfolded in the 68th minute when Kevin De Bruyne made way for Mateo Kovacic.
No, it wasn’t his performance—or lack thereof—that sparked conversation.
Instead, fans were left utterly bewildered by something… unusual. Mateo Kovacic, the man renowned for his clean-shaven or buzz-cut hairstyle, stepped onto the pitch with something many never thought they’d see: longer hair.
Yes, longer hair. It’s the type of bizarre yet oddly fascinating detail that only football fans could turn into a heated online debate.
Kovacic’s Unexpected Transformation
Mateo Kovacic’s sudden switch from his signature buzz cut to a longer-haired look left fans collectively scratching their heads.
The last time Kovacic rocked anything resembling longer locks was during his Real Madrid days, where he occasionally donned a hairband.
Since then, both at Chelsea and Manchester City, Kovacic’s hairstyle had become synonymous with a no-nonsense, clean-shaven head—a look that perfectly complemented his tough, combative midfield style.
But last night, City fans weren’t just grappling with the Derby loss; they were also grappling with a version of Kovacic they barely recognized. On platforms like X (formerly Twitter), the reactions poured in.
One fan admitted, “Kovacic with longer hair is throwing me.” The disbelief was palpable.
Another joked about City’s current struggles: “I see the plan; he grew hair to look like Rodri so he can save our season,” referencing City’s midfield talisman, Rodri, whose injury has derailed their campaign.
The subtle comparison wasn’t lost—Rodri, after all, boasts a full head of hair, making this theory both amusing and oddly plausible in a desperate kind of way.
Some fans were so thrown off that they struggled to process what they were seeing. “I didn’t recognize him for a sec 💀,” confessed one, while another shared, “Same here. Was confused what happened to him.”
Then there were those who made hilariously offbeat observations. “Thought it was Barry way up in the third tier,” one fan quipped, making comparison with former City midfielder, Gareth Barry.
Even fans who pride themselves on noticing minute details were caught off guard. “Made me realize I’ve never ever noticed his hair before,” one admitted, while another remarked, “I thought so; I was wondering if I remembered wrong 😅.”
Yet, not everyone was convinced the change suited him. One blunt reaction summed it up perfectly: “Did not look right at all LOL.”
Did Kovcic undergo hair transplant?
In a game that had Manchester painted red, it was perhaps fitting that one of City’s players became the unexpected talk of the town for a non-footballing reason. Mateo Kovacic’s longer hair might not have changed the derby’s outcome, but it certainly left fans questioning everything they thought they knew about the Croatian midfielder.
And for those wondering if Mateo had a hair transplant to get his hair back as seen in the recent Manchester Derby, chances are very low for that. It was most probably a voluntary decision to be clean-shaven on the head from Kovacic all these years, as we have seen him with longer hair from his time in Spain. So, most likely, he has just allowed nature and time to do the work and have his hair back growing.
As City fans now wonder whether Kovacic’s hair will mark a turning point in their turbulent season, one thing is clear: in football, even the smallest details—like a haircut—can spark the biggest conversations. Whether this was a sign of a new chapter for Kovacic or just a temporary experiment, one thing is for sure—fans will be watching, hair and all.
