Champions League

MANCHESTER CITY have made history by claiming an incredible Treble with victory over Inter Milan in the Champions League final. For 24 years, fierce rivals Manchester United were the only team to have won the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in a single season.
Manchester City have won the Treble
Ilkay Gundogan lifts the Champions League trophyCredit: Richard Pelham – The Sun
The Citizens won a closely fought contestCredit: Richard Pelham – The Sun
Rodri scored the winner against Inter MilanCredit: Getty
Man City striker Erling Haaland with the Premier League trophyCredit: Richard Pelham – The Sun
But now bragging rights will have to be shared by both the red and blue half of Manchester.
Pep Guardiola’s side secured the Treble by overcoming Inter 1-0 in a closely-fought contest.
And they will look back on the moment they emphatically earned revenge on Real Madrid in the semi-finals as the highlight of the season.
After a dramatic exit in last year’s semi-final where Los Blancos netted two last minute goals to force extra time before qualifying on aggregate, City drew Carlo Ancelotti’s men again in this year’s final four.
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And after a 1-1 draw at the Bernabeu there were none of the same mistakes this time around as City crushed the Spaniards 4-0 at the Etihad.
City secured their second trophy of the Treble last weekend as they stuck the knife into rivals United by winning the FA Cup final at Wembley.
Ilkay Gundogan netted both goals as the Red Devils tried in vain to end their hopes of emulating the achievements of Sir Alex Ferguson’s side in 1999.
The Treble had looked out of reach at the turn of the year when it looked like they would miss out on the Premier League title which they had won in four of the previous five seasons.
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Pep Guardiola has dominated English football with Man City
At one time, they trailed leaders Arsenal by eight points with the Gunners having a game in hand.
And things looked extremely bleak when they were 2-0 down at home to Tottenham and booed off for the first time during Pep Guardiola’s reign.
But they would come back to win that match 4-2 with the former Barcelona boss rallying the troops as he laid into both the players and the fans afterwards.
City would go on to crush Arsenal 3-1 at the Emirates and 4-1 at the Etihad as they overhauled the deficit to run out Premier League champions by a five-point margin.
This campaign marks the second Treble Pep Guardiola has won in his career.
The first came at Barcelona in 2009 – at the end of his very first season in management.
City have matched the United team of 1999
Man City beat Manchester United to win the FA CupCredit: AFP
Ilkay Gundogan scored twice in the FA Cup finalCredit: Getty More

AFTER 12 years of heartbreaks and cock-ups and rank bad luck in the Champions League, we should have known it was never going to be smooth. But following what felt like a collective 90-minute anxiety attack in Istanbul tonight, Manchester City are finally the champions of Europe. 
Ilkay Gundogan hoists the Champions League trophyCredit: Richard Pelham – The Sun
Match-winner Rodri collects his medalCredit: Getty
Rodri fires Manchester City into the leadCredit: Richard Pelham – The Sun
The Spaniard celebrates his historic strikeCredit: Getty
The Blue Moon has risen and Old Big Ears belongs to Pep Guardiola and his Abu Dhabi paymasters.  
But the final step on any great quest can often feel like the hardest and as City clinched their Treble, they were almost unrecognisable from the side who have swept aside far mightier teams than Inter Milan in this epic campaign.
The goalscorer Rodri personified City’s lack of self-assuredness. For 68 minutes, this great side’s usually-reliable Spanish anchor man had looked like a gibbering wreck.
But when the ball fell to him 15 yards out, the Spaniard struck his shot sweetly, the onion bag bulged and the agony of being so close to glory finally eased. 
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Guardiola’s men are footballing immortals now, the equals of Manchester United’s famous boys of 1999. 
This season, the great Catalan purist has prevailed over a more flexible side, unafraid to go long to their goal machine Erling Haaland.
The Norwegian has finished off by netting just once in eight games but nobody in sky blue could care less about that after a 52-goal rampage which rocket-fuelled this Treble. 
There had been a miracle here in 2005, when Liverpool staged the most dramatic comeback in this fixture’s grand history. 
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Man City celebrate upon the final whistleCredit: Reuters
Jack Grealish and Rodri sprint in delightCredit: Getty
Pep Guardiola won his first Champions League crown in 12 yearsCredit: Getty
And Inter’s supporters travelled in their tens of thousands in hope rather than expectation. 
Their club may be three-time European champions but City’s nation-state wealth and extreme quality had demoted them to the status of rank outsiders. 
Guardiola had been avoiding his trademark Champions League ‘over-thinking’ for thumping victories over the powerhouses of Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.
But here he sprang a surprise – preferring Nathan Ake to Kyle Walker, to combat Inter’s front two, Edin Dzeko and Lautaro Martinez, with John Stones back to doing his inverted right-back thing.   
It wasn’t the strangest selection Guardiola has made – not by a long chalk – but it was a diversion from a settled team and an indication he wasn’t taking Inter as lightly as many of us were. 
There had been gridlocked traffic on the long road out of central Istanbul to the Ataturk but, thankfully, none of last year’s horrific chaos in Paris.   
After the Superbowl-style pre-match antics Uefa insist upon, the teams arrived to an ivory-tickler on a grand piano playing the Champions League theme. 
This occasion is never knowingly under-blown.
Rodri celebrates with Ruben Dias and Nathan AkeCredit: EPA
Inter Milan struck the bar just moments after City’s openerCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
As kick-off approached, the City fans turned their backs for a massed Poznan. 
Whatever the concerns about Abu Dhabi’s ownership of the club, plenty of them had been to Macclesfield and back with this club and it was tough to begrudge them this night.
City were briefly into their slick routine, Bernardo Silva bending one narrowly wide across goal.
But Inter were robust in defence, direct in attack and refusing to be dominated. 
Guardiola’s men were unusually sloppy at times – a slack Rodri pass allowing Marcelo Brozovic a long-range sighter. 
City’s Spanish anchorman looked nervy and he wasn’t the only one, a mix-up between Ederson and Ruben Dias caused a few palpitations. 
As the half-hour approached, there were echoes of City’s no-show in the 2021 final against Chelsea in Porto. 
Guardiola was repeatedly telling his players to relax. He had stated on the eve of the match that his players must not become anxious if the scoreline stayed goalless for too long. But they were doing just that. 
Kevin De Bruyne, though, upped it by feeding Haaland who angled his run menacingly but was off-balance when he unloaded and Andre Onana saved at his near post. 
But there was another reminder of 2021 when De Bruyne pulled up with a hamstring injury, carried on briefly, but then signalled to be withdrawn after he botched a cross. 
Kevin De Bruyne was forced off in the first halfCredit: Richard Pelham – The Sun
Pep Guardiola cut a nervy figure on the touchlineCredit: Reuters
Phil Foden was no mean replacement but City’s chief creative force – who had been substituted after suffering a broken nose against Chelsea – was gone. 
Inter were invoking the dark arts, with plenty of ‘injury’ stoppages and Guardiola felt the need to start cheerleading the City faithful. 
Stones was City’s best player, enjoying his midfield freedom pass. But few of his team-mates were on their game. 
Dzeko was replaced by Romelu Lukaku – a man with a point to prove – on 56 minutes. 
Then another moment of panic as Bernardo’s backward pass was simply ignored by Manuel Akanji, allowing Martinez to shoot, Ederson pulling off a sharp save.
Haaland dropped back and duffed a pass. Guardiola was down on his haunches. What on Earth was going on out there? 
Every time there was a flash of the true City, an error seemed to follow. 
That was until the 68th minute when Akanji strode forward and supplied a line-breaking pass for Bernardo, who cut back for Rodri to drill home from just inside the area.
Inter, though, were almost level within two minutes – Federico Dimarco’s looping header came back off the bar and then his follow-up was blocked by team-mate Lukaku. 
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Foden almost had a Gazza moment when he rolled his man and burst through but saw his shot saved by Onana. 
But two minutes from time there was an almighty scare as Lukaku’s weak header, from point-blank range, was kept out by Ederson and Dias. 
Ederson was forced into a last-ditch saveCredit: Getty
John Stones hugs his defensive partnerCredit: AP More

FOOTBALL legend Marco van Basten slammed the Champions League final pre-match show.Brazilian singer Anitta linked up with Nigerian artist Burna Boy at the Ataturk Stadium.
Marco Van Basten criticised the Champions League final pre-match showCredit: Getty
Burna Boy performed at the Ataturk StadiumCredit: Getty
The Grammy award winner was joined by singer AnittaCredit: Getty
The likes of Alicia Keys, The Black Eyed Peas, Dua Lipa, Sean Paul, Imagine Dragons, Marshmello, Selena Gomez, Khalid and Camila Cabello have all performed at the final since 2015.
But Van Basten is not a fan of the event and questioned why it needs to happen.
Appearing on Dutch TV, the former striker said: “It’s ridiculous that this show is taking place.
“Why not do it before the warming up? These players are just standing still there, waiting.
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“It should be about these footballers, about football. It happens at the World Cup too. Ridiculous.”
Some fans were in agreement, suggesting the performance should be scheduled for before the teams warm up.
One said: “It’s getting worse year by year.”
Another added: “I totally agree. It should be done before the warm-up. Last thing players will like to see before the biggest of their season.”
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A third wrote: “He’s spitting facts.”
And another commented: “He’s absolutely right.” More

A MANCHESTER CITY fan has been carried out of the stadium on a stretcher during their Champions League final against Inter Milan.It is understood supporters near the individual pleaded for help before he received medical attention and was whisked away.
A Manchester City fan left the Champions League final stands on a stretcherCredit: Getty
BREAKING: Manchester City supporter carried from the stadium on a stretcher.Appeared to collapse and was given oxygen by medical staff.Fans called stewards for help. pic.twitter.com/9gEQBdUWKo— Sam Cunningham (@samcunningham) June 10, 2023

According to journalist Sam Cunningham, he “appeared to collapse and was given oxygen by medical staff”.
The medical support came after fans reportedly called for help from stewards.
He was applauded as he made his way out of the ground on the stretcher.
The incident came after chaos had ensued outside the ground before the game.
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Thousands of Man City fans were reportedly funnelled through narrow gaps, creating dangerous scenes.
Supporters have also slammed the lack of toilet facilities and lengthy queues for refreshments at the Ataturk Stadium.
Video footage showed slow-moving queues with several fans visibly frustrated at the lack of organisation.
Earlier in the day hundreds of City fans were forced to abandon their taxis while heading to the ground.
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The motorway towards the stadium from the city was gridlocked with buses and taxis, leaving fans with no option but to walk.
There were similar problems with the infrastructure surrounding the ground at the 2005 final.
And thousands of Liverpool fans missed kick-off last year in Paris with similar bottlenecking occurring, creating dangerous scenes.
Earlier this week, supporters were urged to head to the stadium NINE hours before kick-off.
Uefa chiefs were keen for fans to board shuttle buses at 1pm local time ahead of the 10pm kickoff.
They anticipated supporters arriving at around 2pm, before joining fanzones outside the stadium serving food and beer.
Upon arrival, fans were required to pass through THREE separate security checkpoints before entering the ground. More