Manchester City enjoyed another city centre celebration as they took three huge trophies to their adoring fans.
If Manchester was temporarily red on Saturday after Manchester United’s FA Cup final win, it was firmly returned to Blue on Sunday evening as Manchester City paraded their silverware from another successful season.
A sea of blue and white awaited City’s players at Cathedral Gardens as they boarded their open-top buses for what is becoming an annual end-of-season parade down Deansgate. When asked about the fans infront of him, star striker Erling Haaland simply replied: “F—— hell.” Indeed.
24 hours earlier, City players had sunk to the turf at Wembley having run out of steam in the final game of the season. The worst part was not that it was the FA Cup final, ending the hopes of adding a historic double to the fourth title in a row. But that it was United.
That put a dampener on Sunday’s parade, as did the threats of thunderstorms, but the torrential downpour of last year’s biblical treble parade did not happen again. In fact, everything was a little lower-key than last year.
Even the three trophies City were parading were a smaller treble than the main one – although the Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup are still new titles to show off. And Jack Grealish, a veteran headline-maker from these parades, looked fresher than previous years while still enjoying himself, of course.
This is the strange paradox that comes with reviewing City’s season. They have just achieved something no other side in England has ever managed, and they are the current World Champions.
But there were suggestions that City shouldn’t have even bothered with a parade given their cup final defeat. Pep Guardiola wouldn’t have entertained that idea, though. In order to emphasise how tough it is to win these trophies, he also makes a point of celebrating them.
When he appeared on top of his bus, he reminded fans that, while these parades feel routine, they are anything but. Bernardo Silva added: “Obviously, last night was frustrating, but we have to forget that and celebrate four in a row. It’s been a very good season for us.” Ruben Dias said: “we’re doing as a team goes beyond any expectation anyone could have [had of us].”
Guardiola vowed to win the FA Cup back off United before getting a customary cigar out, and other players set sights on reminding Liverpool and Arsenal of what they were missing by falling short in their missions to stop a fourth title heading to the Etihad in as many years.
By the time the buses set off, the muscle memory kicked in. No fans were thinking of Wembley, and this was the perfect tonic to getting over the disappointment.
It looked like some players had enjoyed other remedies over the last few hours, too. The new boys, Matheus Nunes, Jeremy Doku and Josko Gvardiol, were all wearing sunglasses, and it wasn’t for the sun.
But why shouldn’t they enjoy themselves? This was their first league title and their first parade. City’s senior players had seen the new signings as a reason for them to give everything so everyone could live these experiences.
A handful of academy players were here, too, showing off their FA Youth Cup trophy. This isn’t the kind of thing they will be used to, either.
Manchester was decked out for the parade. Street vendors will have made a killing on sales of air horns and custom flags or scarves. Old flags from previous parades were also available from one or two sellers trying to get rid of old stock.
‘4-IN-A-ROW’ was printed on the side of the Football Museum, and the Printworks displayed celebratory mottos instead of the usual adverts. The occasional United fan tried to break through the noise, but they were quickly drowned out. Guardiola vowed to win the cup back next season.
When the parade reached its’ finale at the bottom of Deansgate, more fireworks, fire and smoke awaited. Hundreds of fans climbed scaffolding to get a better vantage point – some very lucky to avoid an accident – as Rodri and Kyle Walker led the chants with their trophies.
Before any more fans could climb higher on various unsafe vantage points, the coaches exited awkwardly without any announcement or message of thanks, adding to a feeling that this year’s parade was just a bit less of an occasion than last year.
There had been no expense spared on confetti and production, and the thousands of fans will hold onto these memories for life, but it goes to show how hard it is to follow a treble. Even when this historic title and two other trophies represent a season fans will have only dreamed of a few years ago.
“Winning four in a row and the treble, keeping this mentality to the end against Arsenal and Liverpool, it’s unbelievable,” Rodri admitted, reminding everyone of the bigger picture.
“We know how tough it is to win the Premier League, Club World Cup and Super Cup for the first time. It gives us the credit in Europe.”
As one fan said on the way out: “This may never happen again. We could get relegated.”
That, in a ‘Typical City’ nutshell, is why City must enjoy days like this. The cup final doesn’t matter, the weather was irrelevant, and other issues like Guardiola’s impending contract decision or the charges laid against the club by the Premier League can be put to one side.
City know how to celebrate their trophies and will continue to do so despite any outside noise. “The party will keep going, we have to celebrate,” Rodri added – the players now able to truly enjoy themselves after another successful season.
And they’ll probably be back here next year to do it all again.