Over the past 14 years, Manchester City fans have been spoiled with many moments of glory that they’ll cherish for the rest of their lives.
From the FA Cup win that ended the trophy drought to the iconic Treble via that famous game against QPR, it’s been a great time to be a Manchester City fan.
The main crowning moment for City came on 10 June 2023, when they finally got the trophy they had been working towards for years – the Champions League.
Rodri, who scored the winner for Man City, reminisced about the Istanbul showpiece on Sports Illustrated as he made an honest admission about his fitness in that game.
Rodri admits he would have struggled to play extra-time in Champions League final
Rodri was asked whether he could have played on had the game gone to extra time, and he admitted that he was “completely dead” fitness-wise.
The Spaniard admitted that his “calves were done” and the whole City team was completely exhausted after such a draining campaign.
“No, no,” replied Rodri when asked whether he could have carried on.
“Well, you never know, if they score, you go again and you fight, but from my perspective I was completely dead, my calves were done.
“It was the treble year, the last game of the year, we were exhausted.
“If they scored they didn’t win it, but I think they would’ve had the mental belief to do so, so it was important not to concede.”
Rodri also spoke about how Pep Guardiola spent 10 minutes of his half-time team talk speaking about finding the free man.
How Manchester City won the 2023 Champions League final
City were a joy to behold for most of the 2022/23 campaign, but the Champions League final saw them scrap their way to glory in the way champions do.
Inter had the upper hand for much of the game, while City looked nervous as numerous passes went astray and Erling Haaland struggled to make much of an impact.
City then lost Kevin De Bruyne to a hamstring strain, and it really looked like it wasn’t going to be their day – until Rodri worked his magic.
A chance fell into the centre of the box for Rodri, who calmly slotted the ball into the bottom right-hand corner of the goal from 15 yards out.
City held on and the rest is history as the Etihad Stadium side claimed all three major trophies an English side could win in one campaign.
