Abu Dhabi: Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, has celebrated Manchester City’s UEFA Champions League victory by sharing a video of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in the stadium during the triumphant match.
Manchester City, owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court, emerged victorious in a tense battle against Inter Milan, securing a 1-0 win and thereby completing the esteemed treble. This historic win was achieved under the watchful eye of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, who was present at the match.
In the video shared by Sheikh Saif, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed can be seen applauding as Manchester City scored the winning goal. Sheikh Mansour is seated beside him, their shared joy evident in this significant moment.
Sheikh Saif took to social media to laud this historic achievement, stating, “Under your patronage and in your presence, achievements are being made.” He extended his warm congratulations to Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed on the well-deserved crowning of Manchester City in the Champions League.
Sheikh Saif also expressed his joy for all Emiratis and football fans worldwide, underscoring the global resonance of this accomplishment. “I congratulate all Emiratis and all football fans in the world,” he wrote.
Emotional Man City players hail treble success
Billions of dollars have been spent and many tears shed on Manchester City's journey to the summit of European soccer.
The mission was completed in Istanbul’s Ataturk Olimpiyat Stadium on Saturday as the Abu Dhabi-backed club won the Champions League title for the first time and perhaps heralded the start of a new era of dominance in the competition.
“It was written in the stars. It belongs to us," said Pep Guardiola after the 1-0 win against Inter Milan , as tears flowed again from the manager, his players and a sea of blue-shirted fans.
On this occasion, the emotion was pure ecstasy after so many disappointments on this stage.
The victory, courtesy of Rodri's 68th minute goal, has been 15 years in the making since Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan transformed City into one of the richest teams in the world overnight.
This was the final frontier for Guardiola's team, which also completed a rare treble of trophies after winning the Premier League title and FA Cup this season.
The Champions League had always been a step that seemed out of reach even for a team that has spent more than $1.5 billion on the world's best players and hired probably the greatest coach of his generation in Guardiola.
With that psychological barrier broken and the spending power to further improve a team that has already proved too good for the rest, the potential is there to win European club soccer's biggest prize on multiple occasions.
Guardiola joked about being “just 13 Champions Leagues away” from Real Madrid.
“If you sleep a little bit we will catch you,” he said. “But I don’t want after one Champions League to disappear, so work harder next season and be in there. There are teams that win the Champions League and after one or two seasons disappear. This is what you have to avoid. Knowing me this is not going to happen. But at the same time I have to admit it, it is a big relief for the club, for the institution, for everyone to have this trophy. Because now, finally, they don’t have to ask me if we are going to win the Champions League or not.”
This trophy will also strengthen the case to declare Guardiola the greatest coach ever as he collected his third Champions League title and 30th major piece of silverware.
It was his second treble of trophies, having emulated the feat he achieved with Barcelona in 2009. City became just the second English club to complete a sweep of the three biggest trophies after Manchester United did it in 1999.
