Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour set to attend first match in 13 years as Guardiola and Co. battle Inter in Champions League final
Manchester City are set to take on Inter Milan in the Champions League final today (10 June), and they will be prepared to receive an August visitor.
Thirteen years have passed since City's benefactor Sheikh Mansour made a public appearance at a match. Now, he will be looking to witness his team's historic fight for their first-ever European crown.
Sources within the club confirmed to the PA Media (via Independent) that Mansour will be marking only his second appearance since 2008 when the Abu Dhabi United Group took over at the club. Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak is expected to join the Sheikh in the Ataturk Olympic Stadium's illustrious seats.
In the intervening years, the invisible hand of Mansour has guided City to unprecedented heights, shaping them into a veritable juggernaut of English football. City have brought home the Premier League trophy seven times over the past dozen years.
The Cityzens are now poised to challenge Europe's footballing elite and snatch up the Champions League trophy, which has remained elusive. Victory against Inter Milan in Istanbul would put City in an exclusive group of teams who have completed the treble.
Manchester City on the verge of a historic treble, eyeing Champions League glory
Eighteen years after Liverpool conjured the 'Miracle of Istanbul', Manchester City stand on the precipice of their own landmark moment in the same city.
Led by the masterful Pep Guardiola, who added another Premier League and FA Cup triumph to his glowing portfolio this season, City are now on the hunt for Champions League glory.
Despite an impressive roll call of domestic accolades at the Etihad, the Spanish tactician's European journey with City has been riddled with near-misses and untimely exits.
Until 2021, Guardiola's charges failed to advance beyond the Champions League quarter-finals. Even as pandemic-era restrictions eased and fans trickled back into stadiums, the serial Premier League victors continued to fail in Europe.
The past two seasons have been especially galling for Manchester City fans. In 2021, a strike from Chelsea's Kai Havertz left City licking their wounds. The following year, the relentless Real Madrid machine halted their journey in the semi-finals.
This season, the tables were delightfully turned when City exacted a satisfying 4-0 revenge on Los Blancos.
In the aftermath of their comprehensive demolition of Madrid, Manchester City retained their Premier League title. They also clinched their second FA Cup under Guardiola, overcoming bitter rivals Manchester United.