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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Matthew Cooper

Man City stars joined by partners and families before treble party gets underway

As Manchester City celebrated winning the Champions League final and completing the treble, their stars were joined on the pitch at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium by their loved ones.

City are just the second club to have won the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in the same season, with Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United the first to complete the feat back in 1999.

It was an emotional night for City, with Jack Grealish reduced to tears and both match winner Rodri and manager Pep Guardiola unable to stop themselves swearing as they attempted to sum up what the win meant to them in post-match interviews.

Guardiola was also seen in tears, having won the Champions League for the first time in over a decade, and shared the moment with his wife Cristina and their children. "I think it was written in the stars this season that it belonged to us and we did it," he said.

"Winning this competition and the treble is so difficult, and that's why today is not important the way, it's just to do it." Erling Haaland was joined by his parents, ex-City star Alfie Haaland and Gry Marita Braut, as well as girlfriend Isabel Johansen.

"It's unbelievable," he said. "Having good people around me my whole life and ones that I can trust is important. To have my father and mother around me here is fantastic. I'm so happy. After a couple of days when this settles a bit and this feeling of winning this trophy, I will want to do it again for sure."

Erling Haaland and his partner Isabel Johansen pose with the Champions League trophy (Shutterstock)

Grealish also thanked his family and celebrated with girlfriend Sasha Atwood. "Anyone that knows me knows how much of a family person I am and how much I love football and is what I work for my whole life," he said.

"You think back to all the people that have helped you along the way, seeing my family makes me emotional."

Grealish’s attention then turned to boss Guardiola, whom he spoke to at the end of the clash: “He’s a genius isn’t he? I just went and said to him ‘you’ve made this happen for me’. He put so much faith in me, buying me for a lot of money.

“Even last year when I was playing crap, he stuck with me and spoke to me. And now he’s given me this platform to perform and I just said thankyou to him.”

Jack Grealish and his girlfriend Sasha Attwood (MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP via Getty Images)

The former Aston Villa man quickly turned party starter once the confetti had cleared, with Grealish seen singing in the changing room before moving the night on to a local club.

Defender Nathan Ake posed for pictures with his wife Kaylee Raman, as did Bernardo Silva and his wife Inez Tomaz and Kalvin Phillips and his girlfriend Ashleigh Behan.

Phil Foden, who came on in the first-half to replace the injured Kevin De Bruyne, was joined by his long-term partner Rebecca Cooke, while Kyle Walker celebrated with his children.

Walker, who started on the bench for the showpiece final, revealed that he held an emotional pre-match meeting with his team-mates - urging them to not pass up another chance at glory.

Nathan Ake and wife Kaylee Ramman pose with his Champions League winners medal (Alexander Hassenstein - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

“Obviously I’m always going to be disappointed when I’m not playing but I have to make sure I’m setting my example to the younger lads,” he explained.

“I made a speech before they went out, I was true to my word. I was emotional but this club means so much to me. I’ve been here six years now, to give me what it’s given me and to experience what I’ve experienced in football, I’ll forever be in debt with it.”

Asked what his speech included, Walker told BT Sport: “It was ‘my dream is in your hands.’ It was as simple as that. No pressure, but you can’t say that Inter Milan deserved it more than we did or we deserved it more than Inter Milan did. We’re both here by merit, commiserations to them but there has to be a loser.

Bernardo Silva and his wife Ines Tomaz (Nick Potts/PA Wire)

“I said to those lads that we have to make sure we leave everything on that pitch, work as hard as we have done all season. I though the lads dug deep tonight. The occasion is obviously gonna get to you but to come away with a gold one is fantastic.”

Silva refused to confirm whether City's crowning moment would be his final for the club, with speculation continuing to link him with a move to Paris Saint-Germain. “Honestly, I don’t know [whether Inter would be his final game]. We’ll see what happens in the next few weeks and months. But right now we need to celebrate because we’ve achieved something special.”

Players, coaches, partners, friends and families are set to fly back to Manchester on Sunday, before joining a parade across the city on Monday evening. Thousands of supporters are expected to join in the procession which will get underway at around 6.30pm.

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