Pep Guardiola had his right arm around Kevin De Bruyne and his left around Ilkay Gundogan as they sang along to “We Are The Champions”. He may have found himself in a particularly appropriate place among his players as the bombastic rock anthem blared out over the Ataturk Stadium. For Guardiola, becoming champions of Europe has taken him seven seasons at Manchester City. De Bruyne and Gundogan have been his constant companions, the Belgian the last survivor from Manuel Pellegrini’s 2016 semi-finalists, the German his first signing. Vice-captain and captain have experienced the disappointments. Now they could savour the delight.
For some, there has been an inevitability that City would conquer Europe. De Bruyne and Gundogan, who turn 32 and 33 respectively this summer, could be forgiven for feeling they had no such guarantees of glory. As Rodri, their match-winner, thanked some of the players who had gone before, who had elevated City to this level – he namechecked Sergio Aguero, David Silva, Vincent Kompany and Fernandinho – he highlighted the reality of how this prize eluded the previous generation.
