ABU DHABI, (Pakistan Point News - 19th Jun, 2023) Man City Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has pinpointed the main emotion he felt in the immediate aftermath of City’s momentous Champions League win in an interview with City Website.
Sitting down with Chris Bailey the day after City's triumph in Istanbul, the Chairman said relief was the key sentiment after City had been crowned Champions of Europe.The chairman also discussed his desire for a new modern legacy of success, the attendance of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court, at the showpiece, securing the Treble, Pep Guardiola, Erling Haaland, Julian Alvarez, Ilkay Gundogan and much more.
Al Mubarak said that City are building a new modern legacy of success in the wake of the Club’s historic Treble-winning 2022/23 campaign.
It was a victory that not only clinched the Club’s first-ever European Cup but one that also sealed the Treble following on from their Premier League and FA Cup successes.
The triumph at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium represented the 14th major piece of silverware secured by City under the inspired leadership of manager Pep Guardiola, with Citizens having won five of the past six Premier League titles.
Speaking in the first instalment of his annual City tv interview, the Chairman paid handsome tribute to the towering achievement of Pep, his staff and players, also pointing out that such a historic success had been secured the hard way.
And looking forward, the Chairman was adamant that this season’s incredible catalogue of success had only intensified the Club’s desire and hunger to further build on that proud record of achievement looking to the future.
“We're building a legacy for this club, a new modern legacy,” the Chairman told mancity.com.
“And this modern legacy is in the modern Premier League and it's the last ten years, it's the last 15 years.
“The Treble (had) only being achieved once (in this country) and it's only been achieved once because this is really the most difficult thing to possibly achieve in the world of football.
“To win the most difficult league in the world, the Premier League, and to win the most difficult competition in the world of sports, in my view, the Champions League at the same time, combined with another Cup competition, a great historic Cup competition, the FA Cup at the same time, it is incredible, which is why it has only been done once, 24 years ago.
“And now this team has achieved that, and this team has achieved that against incredible competition in the Premier League from 19 teams that are, as a group, the most competitive league in the world.
“And then to go in the Champions League and to do so in a run, beating the defending champions, Real Madrid, beating in the final an incredible team, Inter, who had an incredible run to get to the final and then beating also Bayern Munich. It's not like we had an easy run to the Champions League final. We did it the hard way and we did it with the highest level of football that I think I've ever seen. (But) you always can top it because the future is the future and records are records. As we've done every year, we keep building this incredible legacy with new achievements, new records, (and) consistency. You look at next season and guess what? Look what we have next year. Look what we have this summer. We have the Charity Shield, we have the Super Cup, we have the Club World Cup.
“For the first time, this club is going to be competing in the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup. And we want to win these.
“We want to win these, and we want to add them to the history of this great club, to the legacy of this great club.
“And everything we do is (about) setting new records and new standards.
“It’s amazing but I'm already thinking about next year.
“There’s a joke between me and Ferran (City CEO Soriano) and Txiki (Director of Football Begiristain) and Pep. When we had our moment, we looked at each other and, it was: ‘OK, now we’ve got to do it again!’”
Further reflecting on what was the greatest night in City’s proud 129-year history, the Chairman also spoke about how apt and fitting it was for the Club to secure both the Champions League, and with it the Treble, in the presence of H.H. Sheikh Mansour.
Coming 15 years after the transformative takeover of the Club by the Abu Dhabi United Group, led by H.H. Sheikh Mansour, for the Chairman his presence at a City game for the first time since 2010 only added to the sense of history and occasion in Istanbul.
“The most special,” the Chairman said of the owner being in attendance.
“For Sheikh Mansour, given everything he has given to this club, given all the commitment, years of support, love, he's given passion to the club and at the pinnacle, the final of the Champions League, to be here, to be able to attend it, he has so much love for this club and working with him over the last 15 years as part of City Football Group, he deserves this. He really does.
“I'm so happy he was there.”
