- Inter edged out in Istanbul
- Blues complete historic Treble
- England ace lauds Catalan coach
WHAT HAPPENED? The England international forward may not have been at his best in a showpiece event held at the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul, but he contributed to a 1-0 victory that was secured courtesy of Rodri’s 68th-minute goal. That effort allowed Premier League and FA Cup winners City to complete a historic Treble, while Grealish got his hands on the one trophy that he has been dreaming about lifting since he was a child.
WHAT THEY SAID: With emotion spilling out of him, Grealish told BT Sport of savouring European glory: “This is what you work your whole life for, isn't it. I'm so happy, man. I played so... today I was awful. To win the Treble with this group of players, with this staff, is so special, man. Anyone who knows me knows how much of a family person I am and how much I love football. This is what I've worked for my whole life.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Grealish also made a point of thanking City boss Pep Guardiola for giving him an opportunity to experience such success, with the Catalan coach having signed him for £100 million ($126m) in 2021 and stuck by him when he was “cr*p” during a testing debut campaign at the Etihad Stadium. Grealish added on his boss: “He's just a genius, isn't he. I just told him, 'I want to thank you. You've made this happen for me, putting so much faith in me, buying me for a lot of money'. Even last year when I was playing cr*p he stayed there with me and spoke to me. And this year he's given me that platform to go and perform and so I thanked him.”
IN THREE PHOTOS:
(C)Getty Images
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GettyWHAT NEXT? Grealish ended his second campaign at City with three trophies to go alongside the five goals and 11 assists that he recorded across all competitions, with the creative 27-year-old winger beginning to get back back to his best.