Man City fans celebrate 'best team in the world' after Champions League victory
It was Sky Blue heaven for Man City fans tonight as their team won the Champions League for the first time to match their red rivals’ Treble back in 1999.
And their fans partied like it was 1999 long into the Istanbul night with their Prince being midfielder Rodri, who scored the winner against Inter Milan in the 68th minute.
Both inside and outside the 75,000 capacity Ataturk Olympic Stadium, City supporters – who had shelled out huge sums on flights, tickets and hotels to witness history – danced and sang, wildly celebrating a season that saw them add the elusive trophy to the FA Cup and Champions League, just as Manchester United did 24 years ago.
Man City fans enjoying the bars of Istanbul’s Nevizade Street (Phil Harris)And for boss Pep Guardiola – who swapped his usual hoody and jeans for a dapper black suit and matching jumper – it erased the bad memories of two years ago when City lost in the final to Chelsea.
The 20,000 Sky Blues fans lucky enough to get tickets for the final will have stories to tell their grandchildren about a win that capped a magical season for supporters, including Manchester boxing legend Ricky Hatton, who had been in high spirits all day in the centre of Istanbul.
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The cheapest tickets for the match cost £60 but as kick-off neared, passes were being offered for more than £1,000 each.
City fans celebrating at the Depot Mayfield in Manchester (PA)Early in the day, some supporters visited tourist hotspot The Blue Mosque to pray for divine intervention –while thousands more headed straight for a specially constructed fan zone in the stadium’s overspill car park from 2pm local time, a full eight hours before kick-off.
WAGs, including Erling Haaland ’s glamorous girlfriend Isabel Haungseng Johansen, were in VIP seats after being flown in on private jets paid for by club chief Sheikh Mansour and City’s players.
Fans kept cool by enjoying £1.30 pints and local delicacies, from doner kebabs to pan-fried veal liver, in the centre of Istanbul where temperatures reached a balmy 26C.
Later in the afternoon, entertainers at the fan zone jokingly urged them to stay hydrated by downing 50cl plastic cups of official beer Heineken at seven Euros a go.
Ricky Hatton larks with a pal in Istanbul (PHil harris)Temperatures had cooled to around 20C by kick-off.
Traffic jams in the run-up to kickoff saw some City fans leaving their transport to jog or walk to the stadium.
UEFA officials had warned supporters to expect delays reaching the stadium, which is on the outskirts of the city.
They begged them to arrive early in a bid to avoid a repeat of the dangerous and chaotic scenes at last year’s final between Liverpool and Real Madrid.
Then, there had been fears of crushes outside the Stade de France and the kick-off was delayed by 37 minutes.
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But apart from some dark smoke bellowing over the stadium’s east stand shortly before kick-off due to a fire at a nearby factory, there was never any danger of unwanted drama.
Haaland's girlfriend Isabel Johansen and his father Alfie Haaland (Getty Images)This year, there was a completely different atmosphere, with fans joyously singing and dancing in massive festival-style beer tents while being entertained by a DJ and other musicians on stage just 500 metres away from the turnstiles.
The party atmosphere continued after they got into the ground, where they were treated to a six-minute opening show, which included a spectacular lights show and fireworks, as well as performances by international pop stars Anitta and Burna Boy, and Swedish DJ Alesso.
World-renowned concert pianist Adam Gyorgy also performed a unique arrangement of the Champions League anthem as the players lined up on the pitch.
The Champions League opening ceremony at Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)City suffered a first-half blow when key Belgian star Kevin De Bruyne was forced off, heartbroken, with a leg injury after just 36 minutes.
But Manchester supporters gave local lad and England star Phil Foden a rousing ovation when he came on as substitute – while the later introduction of Inter striker Romelu Lukaku, a former Chelsea player, threatened briefly to spook them.
Istanbul and worldwide exploded with joy when Rodri blasted the ball into the back of the net.
But there were nervous moments, not least when Inter Milan hit the bar and goalkeeper Emerson’s knee saved a goalbound header in the dying minutes to become one of the most famous saves in the club’s history.
After a nerve-jangling final few minutes with Inter throwing everyone forward in the search for an equaliser and frantic scrambles in the City box, the whistle blew and fans went wild.
Amid the jubilation a tearful Jack Grealish told cameras. “This is what I’ve been working for all my life.”
Manchester City owner Sheik Mansour (Phil Harris / Daily Mirror)
City fans Andy Stubley and his daughter (Phil Harris)The night’s heroics mark a remarkable turnaround for the club, who were relegated to English football’s third tier in 1998 – just 12 months before Man Utd rubbed it in by completing the Treble.
City have become one of Europe’s most successful clubs since the arrival of Sheikh Mansour and the riches of Abu Dhabi’s oil wells.
Les Batey, 62, from Ashton-under-Lyne, was at the stadium with sons James, 35, and Dan, 28, after travelling to Bulgaria and taking an 11-hour bus trip to Istanbul.
Summing up the club’s dramatic change in fortune, he said: “I was at the game in the late 80s when we lost to Halifax in the FA Cup and I’m here now when we’ve got the best team in the world. Back then we couldn’t have even contemplated this. It’s brilliant!”.
Gloating about how Man United are now being forced to live in City’s shadow, he said: “We’re not competing any more. It’s gone.”
Andy Stubley, 63, and his 22-year-old daughter Alex, from Bourne, Lincolnshire, were also among those celebrating. Alex, a sports therapist, said: “It’s been great to be here. It’s been amazing.”
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