Inspiring People to Do Better

The Manchester City Football Club made history by entering the Treble Hall of Fame. A 68th-minute strike catapulted it to victory, nailing its first-ever European Cup victory this season - the Champions League Trophy at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey, on June 10, 2023 preceded by their success at the Premier League and the FA Cup, a feat by an English football club after nearly a quarter century.

- Jennifer Paldano Goonewardane.

Manchester City Football Club has sealed its name in English football as one of the greatest football clubs following its three victories, the European title being the most coveted. Before them, the only other English Club to hold the enviable treble champions title was Manchester United, which they did under the leadership of Sir Alex Ferguson in the 1998-99 season. Such a rare feat is often down to many reasons. Football clubs attract some of the most lucrative sponsorships. They contract some of the world’s most sought-after players, a fierce competition that sees intense bidding to clinch the best players with the winning spark. Manchester City, for instance, contracted Norwegian striker Erling Haaland for a deal worth £51 million.

Behind the hype and the hoopla of the treble title by Manchester City stands a formidable figure, the strategist doing the queen’s gambit of selecting the team, negotiating, recruiting, and contracting players while being the one to put the arm around the men and unifying the team to ensure success while being able to talk them straight in the face when they need to buck up. When a club performs well, the spotlight falls on, among many others, the club’s coach and manager, and Pep Guardiola is the man of the hour.