On this day (17 May) in 2023 Manchester City defeated Real Madrid 4-0 (5-1 on aggregate) in the UEFA Champions League semi final. It was one of the most incredible games of football I have ever seen. For me, it was City’s best European performance at the Etihad and, from what I can remember, no European game at Maine Roadbettered it (older Blues may talk about the ECWC semi in 1970 – I was only a baby – but surely the Madrid victory bettered that too?). I’d go further and say that in terms of overall performance, atmosphere and style, considering who City were playing, that that was the greatest City game of all time – yes, that is debatable I know!
Obviously, we had the high drama of Agueroooooooo in 2012 but most of that game had been a frustrating mess of a match. The Madrid game was brilliant, breathtaking and wonderful from the moment it started through to leaving the stadium many, many minutes after the final whistle. The game was incredible – I don’t normally do superlatives so when I do I genuinely mean it.
There’s a certain amount of ‘completing the circle’ in City’s European journey – Alan Oakes captained City’s first European Cup game against Istanbul’s Fenerbahce in 1968, so the entire continental journey started there and in 2023 the Blues won the CL final in that city. It also felt appropriate that the man we’ve been singing about when we’ve sung our going to Istanbul chant these last few years was the man who scored twice against Real Madrid. Ber-nar-do!
I know City had been to a Champions League final before but last year was significantly different. City have suffered at the hands of English clubs Liverpool, Spurs and Chelsea over the years in Europe and it never quite felt right. Playing continental royalty like Real Madrid and Bayern Munich and then Inter Milan took it to a different level. As did the final of course!
Many Blues had waited a long time for European glory. I was a toddler when City had previously won a major European trophy and I always dreamed of seeing City match or eclipse what Mercer’s men did in 1970. From Marsh’s debut to Pleat’s jig; ‘Look at his face’ to Tueart’s overhead; Beating AC Milan to Hutchison’s own goal; FA Youth Cup winners to Ball’s ‘hold the ball in the corner’; Bournemouth 3-3 to Morley’s Bradford goal; Reeves’ wonderful FAC goal to York away; 5-1 to 6-1; Bananas at Stoke to relegation at Stoke; FMC Final to Dickov’s rescue; Swales Out to Thaksin’s Albert Square singing; Kippax Last Stand to Etihad’s safe standing; Foe’s last goal at Maine Road to Aguerooooooooooo; Pearce’s good luck beanie to Bernardo’s cup; the invisible man to Emptyhad; James up front to Walker in nets… it had been a long time coming!
So this CL semi final thrashing of Real Madrid was so important and led to a wonderful final in Istanbul (let’s not mention the post match issues today!).
Rival fans may not agree unless they’ve experienced it themselves but multiple relegations are character building and make moments like Real Madrid, the the final, even more incredible. You don’t need to experience a relegation to enjoy success, but if you’ve suffered relegations (I’ve been through five) and those dismal, dismal days then reaching points like 2023 are heightened.
In 2023 there were the usual negative voices about money. Show me a truly successful club who hasn’t spent! Not only that but City beat Bayern and Real in 2023’s European campaign (plus in the PL the usual collection of clubs that had been spending big for decades)… hardly poor relations. Hardly clubs with no history of success. These are European giants. Real Madrid have won more Champions League/European Cups than all English clubs put together. They are European aristocracy. Beating them – and the entire campaign – was a massive achievement for City, overcoming major obstacles and competing in a Premier League that in the previous 12 years or so had seen more of the top clubs challenge and tighter points totals between 1st and 2nd than in previous decades.
Malcolm Allison once said to me: ‘Celebrate every success as if it’s your first, because it could be your last.’ As a man who had been to the top and helped City win a European trophy I guess we should always remember his words. 2023 was a year like no other and it should always be celebrated.
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