Ederson made startling Man City pre-season prediction that he wrote in his phone

06 July 2023 , 08:01

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Ederson cut an emotional figure after Manchester City won the Champions League (Image: Getty Images)

Ederson has revealed he predicted Manchester City would win the Champions League before the 2022/23 season had even started.

Pep Guardiola's side finally won Europe's elite club competition after securing a 1-0 victory over Inter Milan in the final last month. Rodri's second-half strike proved the difference in Istanbul as City lifted the Champions League trophy for the first time in the club's history.

It capped off a remarkable campaign for City, who also won the Premier League and FA Cup to complete the historic treble. They became the first English side to win those three trophies in the same season since Manchester United did so back in 1999.

When asked about his side's success, Ederson, who made some vital saves in the final, admitted he thought City would win the Champions League at the start of the season. The Brazilian also shared the emotion he felt after the final whistle.

"Honestly, after the Champions League final, I was crying with happiness," he said, via the National. "It's been so difficult for the players, we've been trying every year to win this competition and it's been a long time.

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"This year, I made a note in my phone that we will win the Champions League and I thought we would do it, but there's no way to expect the treble.

"We’re so happy it came this way, we've made history for the club and it's incredible for this country too. People have asked how it feels to be a treble-winner, but to me it’s something that I’ll remember more in 10, 20 years' time."

Ederson celebrates after winning the Champions League (Getty Images)

Winning the Champions League was a long time coming for City. They had been trying for many years under Guardiola but never seemed to get over the line. The closest City had got before was in 2021 when they were narrowly beaten 1-0 by Chelsea in Porto.

Losing to Real Madrid in 2022 was also a bitter pill to swallow for City, as they threw away a two-goal advantage to lose 6-5 on aggregate in the semi-finals. Carlo Ancelotti's Real went on to win the Champions League that year after beating Liverpool in the final.

However, City didn't have to wait any more seasons to finally get their hands on the coveted trophy. Guardiola's men were superb across the tournament and fully deserved their success. The Spaniard could not contain his emotions after the victory over Inter - but claimed they deserved to win it.

Guardiola said: "I am tired, calm. Satisfied. This f****** trophy is so hard to win. This competition is a coin (toss). It was written in the stars. It belongs to us."

Kieran King