The Citizens succeeded Real Madrid with a goal from Rodri in the 68th minute and scored the treble after their league and FA Cup success.
For Guardiola, this is the 3rd title in C1 after the two won on the bench of FC Barcelona (2009, 2011), his training club. The 52-year-old former midfielder, failing on the European scene at the head of Bayern Munich (2013-2016) and Manchester City since his departure from Barça, has finally broken the curse, two years after a final lost with the Mancunian club against Chelsea (1-0).
With three Champions Leagues to his name, he is only one unit away from Carlo Ancelotti, the most successful technician (4), and arrives at the level of Zinedine Zidane and Englishman Bob Paisley, also crowned in C1 three times.
This victory is also a consecration for Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, vice president of the United Arab Emirates, who saved the club from bankruptcy by buying it in 2008. Since then, more than €1.5 billion has been invested in the transfer market to build a team capable of winning the Champions League.
The final had started very badly for City with the exit on injury in the 36th minute of its Belgian playmaker Kevin De Bruyne, visibly hit in the right thigh and replaced by the Englishman Phil Foden. Norwegian striker Erling Haaland, author of 52 goals this season, in all competitions, remained silent and hardly weighed on the match.
For Inter Milan, reaching the final is in itself a feat and the Italian club does not have to be ashamed of its performance even if it fails to regain a trophy it has already lifted three times (1964, 1965, 2010).
© 2023 AFP