Manchester City’s first foray in the European Cup started and ended in Turkey, 55 years ago, with a humbling opening round defeat to Fenerbahce. It took another 43 years for City to return to Europe’s elite competition, a further decade to reach a final. And then another two for the side to win one.
For some fans, me included, there’s something typically City about the journey to European glory starting and ending in Istanbul. Perhaps the destination point – to get back to where it all began all those years ago – was hidden in plain sight all along.
And it had to be done the hard way, didn’t it?
After a season in which City have routinely played scintillating football, destroying European giants Real Madrid and Bayern Munich along the way to get within touching distance of a historic treble, this was an evening for finding a way – any way would do – to get over the line.
The first half was cagey. Erling Haaland went close when played in by Kevin de Bruyne, who would succumb to a hamstring injury minutes later. The Belgian midfielder was forced to withdraw from European football’s greatest game once again, two years after leaving a final in tears.
Inter Milan pressed and harried City to a standstill, forcing error after uncharacteristic error from the Manchester club.
The second half started in a similar vein. And then it happened.
Bernardo Silva’s deflected cross ended up in an acre of space near the Inter penalty spot with Rodri running on to it.
It had to be him, the normally faultless Spaniard had been enduring, by his very high standards, a slightly below-par evening in Istanbul, before he struck the shot that sent City fans wild.
Two, three, four Inter chances to equalise came and went in the remaining 20 minutes.
Champions League final player ratings
The highlights package will be tough to watch for fans of the Italian club and to see again how close their team came to clawing their way back into the tie. Ederson made save after save, somehow the rest of the City defence stood firm. Shots and clearances ricocheted to safety, and City’s goal lived a charmed life.
And then the final whistle went.
The Ataturk Olympic Stadium, once the venue for the greatest comeback in Champions League final history – by Liverpool in 2005 against Inter’s neighbours, AC Milan – was now the finishing post for the final leg of Manchester City’s long and winding journey from European vision to champions.
For years, European glory had seemed an impossible dream. Season after season, City foundered on heartbreak ridge in the Champions League, finding new ways to lose, or rather, not to win the trophy that had begun to become an obsession.
There were several years in the middle where it looked like winning the Champions League was something other teams did, but not us. Particularly so after stinging defeats in consecutive years in Lisbon, Porto and Madrid. These only served to salt the wounds of the previous years when City had been knocked out by domestic rivals.
But now the race has been won and a different question needs answering: what does it feel like to finally land the biggest club trophy of them all?
Messages from friends in Istanbul and elsewhere have been short but unmistakably proud. Trophy emojis have crisscrossed the world in the past few hours in streams of WhatsApp messages.
One note, sent by a friend in those feverish minutes between the final whistle and the trophy lift, said just this: “I feel very emotional right now”. And that is how I suspect, most City fans will feel on Sunday morning.
Almost as soon as Rodri’s exquisite shot struck the back of the net, all the long-held fear and frustration began to disappear.
Now, there is the satisfaction at mission accomplished and the pulsing emotion of the memory of a glorious night of football.
What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The specs
Engine: Turbocharged four-cylinder 2.7-litre
Power: 325hp
Torque: 500Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh189,700
On sale: now
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Company%20profile
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Wednesday and the pair embraced but he failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
WHAT%20MACRO%20FACTORS%20ARE%20IMPACTING%20META%20TECH%20MARKETS%3F
%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Looming%20global%20slowdown%20and%20recession%20in%20key%20economies%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Russia-Ukraine%20war%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Interest%20rate%20hikes%20and%20the%20rising%20cost%20of%20debt%20servicing%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Oil%20price%20volatility%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Persisting%20inflationary%20pressures%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Exchange%20rate%20fluctuations%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Shortage%20of%20labour%2Fskills%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20A%20resurgence%20of%20Covid%3F%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
'Outclassed in Kuwait'
Taleb Alrefai,
HBKU Press
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Quick%20facts
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
The%20specs%3A%202024%20Mercedes%20E200
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FROM%20THE%20ASHES
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent