By: Dhruv Sampath
By clinching victory over Inter Milan with a 68th-minute strike, Manchester City won their first Champions League trophy in Istanbul on June 10, 2023. Having already won the FA Cup and the Premier League trophy, they became only the second team in British soccer history to complete the coveted “Treble”. Team manager Pep Guardiola summed up the importance of this win, “I have the feeling we’ve done something exceptional but to be considered one of the greatest we have to win the Champions League, otherwise it’s not complete”.
Manchester City isn’t the only team to win the Treble; this title has been previously held by Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Celtic, Ajax, and PSV. Manchester United was the first English team to hold all three trophies, winning the Champions League final against Bayern Munich in 1998. Bayern Munich has also won this title twice before—the only German team to boast this distinction. Thanks to Lionel Messi, Barcelona has won this title twice.
The current players of Manchester City were instrumental in this victory. One of their best players by far was Erling Haaland, who scored a total of 36 goals and 8 assists during the season. Another great player was Kevin de Bruyne, who scored 7 goals and 16 assists during the season. There is also Rodri, who scored the winning goal for Manchester City in the Champions League final. This is the second time Manchester United has gone to the champions league finals.
In 2021 Manchester City lost to Chelsea 1-0 with their manager, Pep Guardiola, who has won 2 other Champions League titles with Barcelona.
After several disappointing seasons, Manchester City has finally made it and won the continental Treble. Fans are eagerly awaiting the next season, and maybe their next Treble.
Sources:
Manchester City’s Champions League Triumph, Treble Is a Dark Day for Soccer
Only Champions League glory will make us complete, says Guardiola Stats | UEFA Champions League 2022/23