Manchester City’s jubilant heroes partied all night after winning their first Champions League to complete a historic Treble.
Their celebrations continued yesterday after they arrived home in Manchester onboard a club-liveried Etihad Airways Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner wearing specially made T-shirts declaring them ‘the best team in the land” as well as their medals around their necks.
And the festivities will continue into a third day on Monday when they show off all three of their hard-won trophies, including the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup, during an open-top bus parade in front of thousands of fans.
It will be led by boss Pep Guardiola, who yesterday received a message of congratulations from Sir Alex Ferguson after becoming the first manager to guide an English side to the Treble since the Scot did it in 1999.
It will set off from Manchester’s Deansgate at approximately 6.30pm before making its way through the city centre.
DJs positioned along the route will play music and keep fans entertained during the hour-long journey, creating what is expected to be a carnival atmosphere ahead of a stage show on the city’s Oxford Street.
All of Man City’s stars had stayed out on the pitch at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium for nearly two hours after the final whistle on Saturday night in order to enjoy the victory on the pitch alongside their families and WAGS, including Erling Haaland ’s glamorous girlfriend Isabel Haungseng Johansen.
They had just made history by beating Inter Milan 1-0 to win Europe’s top football competition for the first time in Man City’s history after Rodri’s 68th minute winner sent 20,000 Sky Blues fans inside the stadium wild.
And it was clear the significance of the victory wasn’t lost on any of the players.
In at times touching and emotional scenes, which included Rodri repeatedly kissing and hugging his partner and putting his winner’s medal around her neck, the players seemed keen to savour every last moment.
After staying on the pitch until gone 1.30am, they carried on partying in the changing room, where some were drinking cans of Heineken beer while singing and dancing with joy.
Among them was Jack Grealish, who joined in with a rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s 1987 hit ‘Everywhere’, with changed lyrics to pay tribute to City’s success.
The squad then completed an impressive hat-trick by carrying on their celebrations at Istanbul’s JW Marriott Marmara Sea Hotel, where star striker Erling Haaland was seen hugging Grealish and puffing on a huge cigar as the sun came up at around 7am.
Loud chants paying tribute to versatile ace John Stones could still be heard coming from inside the hotel shortly afterwards.
And goalkeeping hero Ederson was later seen clutching a beer while leaving for the airport, while Riyad Mahrez covered up his eyes with dark glasses while holding a McDonalds order.
In a sign everyone involved had enjoyed the night of their lives, Jack Grealish’s dad Kevin exited the hotel just before 10am while still wearing his son’s winners medal.
Asked about the night, he said: “Amazing, amazing, amazing... amazing day!”.
Noel Gallagher, who watched the final with fellow fans in a bar in San Diego, California, predicted the Treble is just the start for City.
He said: “This is the end of the beginning. This is only the start.”
Addressing his brother Liam’s claim that Oasis would reform if Man City won the Treble, he joked he will be free at “the back end of 2024”.
In 1999, Greater Manchester Police estimated that at least 500,000 saw Manchester United ’s open-top bus make its way from Sale into the city centre to a reception in front of thousands more at the Manchester Arena.
