CITY FAN VIEW: Yes, we lost… but final loss does not mean failure

MAN CITY FAN VIEW: Yes, we lost… but it doesn’t mean this is a failure – the Champions League final is a mark of how far we have come in 22 years

  • Defeat is a disappointment but the final was a measure of Man City’s progress
  • The Champions League final was a fantastic occasion and the fans were superb
  • It’s still been an excellent season for City following the league and cup victory 

Even though we lost, this should not taint what has been a terrific season. It is disappointing, of course, but it is still a measure of the progress we have made. It should not be viewed as a failure.

It was 22 years ago that my son and I walked out of Wembley after beating Gillingham on penalties to get out of the third tier.

My son was nine and we drove all the way down from Edinburgh to watch Kevin Horlock and Paul Dickov score at the death to take the game to extra-time.

Sergio Aguero walks past the Champions League trophy after collecting his runners-up medal

City players look on dejected following their Champions League final defeat by Chelsea

I remember how adrenaline had flowed back then. On Saturday night, we both stood outside the stadium in Porto, looking up at the sign that read: ‘Champions League final’. This was something else.

It was still a fantastic occasion, the fans were in great voice. There had been a sense of celebration for City supporters. Not so much because of the expectation to win but to celebrate how far we have come in those 22 years.

We still won the league this season, the League Cup, and reached the semi-final of the FA Cup and our first Champions League final.

Supporters were left deflated after defeat but it has been a strong season for City

Pep Guardiola consoles Rodrigo following the 1-0 defeat by Chelsea at the Estadio do Dragao

I remember when we won the league in 1968 and qualified for the European Cup. We played Fenerbahce in the first round. My dad said we weren’t going to Turkey but promised that we would go to the next one.

We waited 43 years. I told my lad we weren’t going to make the same mistake. We’ve been to Barcelona, Madrid, Munich. Now, a Champions League final.

It would have been great to get the monkey off our backs. For me, though, it will always be winning the league that I cherish.




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