After winning the Champions League final, Manchester City’s treble winners celebrated their long-awaited triumph in Istanbul until the wee hours.
Exceptional striker Erling Haaland, who remained rather pale in the 1-0 win against outsiders Inter Milan, posted a picture of himself with a big cigar on Instagram around 7 a.m.
Teammate Jack Graelish mingled with fans at a club to hip-hop tunes. The starting signal for the celebration marathon had already been given in the dressing room and beer flowed on the bus on the way to the team hotel.
The team headed home on Sunday, with coach Pep Guardiola waving to the waiting fans on the way out of the hotel. After returning, the pros can relax a little before continuing to celebrate with the fans at the planned trophy parade in Manchester on Monday evening.
Expectant City coach Guardiola
“I can’t wait to be on the bus with the three trophies,” said Guardiola. Captain Ilkay Gündogan already thanked the fans for their support: “I can honestly say that we couldn’t have made it without them. They were fantastic and they deserve this moment.”
For Haaland, the first Champions League win with Man City was an “incredible” feeling right in his debut season for the club. “In my wildest dreams, I never thought I could win this as a 22-year-old,” said the top scorer of the premier league season 2022/23: “But it shows that it’s also possible for a boy from a small town in Norway .”