‘This f**king trophy’ - Pep Guardiola gives Man City treble verdict after Champions League win

Pep Guardiola claimed Manchester City’s treble was ‘written in the stars’ following the team’s victory in the final of the Champions League on Saturday.

The Blues beat Inter Milan 1-0 in Istanbul to register a maiden Champions League crown thanks to Rodri’s goal in the second half, in a game where City didn’t get to their usual levels and struggled to cope with Inter’s intensity.

But the relief was evident at the end of the game as Rodri and Jack Grealish spoke of their pride, while for Guardiola and City, they claimed European silverware at the seventh time of asking. “This f**king trophy is so difficult to win! It’s impossible!” the Catalan said on BT Sport.

“It could not be differently and we knew, first because they are really good. [Inter] is similar to Antonio Conte’s [teams] - they bring you up and find a striker and link really well. The first time we were so anxious.

“The man free was John Stones and we could not find him. But it’s a question of be patience, I said it at half-time we were 1-0 in Porto [in the 2021 final]. Now 0-0, and you have to be lucky.

“The end with Ederson where they miss it - they could draw and maybe Phil [Foden] scores a second one. This competition is a coin [flip] but we are there and it was written in the stars this season. It belongs to us and we did it. Today it was not important the way to get it.”

The treble is even more incredible given City were far off their best in the middle part of the campaign, which resulted in Guardiola’s infamous ‘happy flowers’ speech.

“It was maybe not our best levels but Arsenal was beyond exceptional,” Guardiola reflected. “But after the World Cup, the team make a step forward. That Champions League is created by five Premier Leagues and all the other titles [over the years].

“Now we are going to celebrate in the hotel with friends and family and it has to be like that,” he added. “On Monday the parade where our people will be there.”