Istanbul, June 11 (BNA): Captain Ilkay Gundogan said that Manchester City should be considered one of the heavyweight clubs in football after winning the Champions League to achieve a rare hat-trick, while Jack Grealish praised coach Pep Guardiola as a “genius”. .
Reuters reported that the players were crying after Rodri scored an emphatic goal in the second half against Inter Milan in the final to secure a 1-0 victory and the first European Champions League title for City on Saturday, after finishing the Premier League and FA Cup last month.
“Unbelievable. It’s hard to put anything into words. Today we made history,” Gundogan told BT Sport. “This team deserves the highest recognition and winning the Champions League lifts us to the top of the game.
“We knew everyone was talking about the treble. The pressure was there, but this team is designed to handle the pressure in the best way possible.”
Grealish, who joined City from Aston Villa for a British record 100 million pounds ($126 million) in 2021, was one of City’s brightest stars this season and was overcome with emotion at the final whistle.
“It’s what you work for your whole life. I’m so happy,” said Grealish. “I was awful today but I don’t care.
I just said to (Guardiola): ‘I want to thank you for making this happen to me. You trust me so much, you buy me for so much money.” Even last year when I was playing shit he stayed there with me and this year he gave me this platform… He’s just genius.”
Striker Erling Haaland has set his sights on more success next season, warning rivals that his hat-trick did not satiate his appetite for trophies after leading City’s attack with 52 goals this season.
“In my wildest dreams, I never thought about this,” Haaland said. “After a couple of days when this settles down a bit and that feeling of winning this trophy, I’m definitely going to want to do it again.
“We have to defend what we’ve achieved this season. That’s how it goes. In one month we forget everything and we have to start over.”
And City finished the job without key playmaker Kevin De Bruyne, who was consoled by Haaland and his teammates when he was forced off the field with a hamstring injury in the first half.
“This is what I have been fighting for for many years,” De Bruyne told reporters. “It’s unbelievable that we were able to achieve this with City.
“It’s a first in the club’s history. We will always be associated with the club in that way. It’s really special.”
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