John Stones has shared some behind-the-scenes details on what happened after Manchester City booked their place in Saturday’s Champions League final.
Last month, following a 1-1 draw against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in the first leg of their semi-final clashes, Pep Guardiola’s side thrashed the Spanish club 4-0 at the Etihad Stadium in the second leg.
With the Citizens now preparing to take on Inter Milan in the final in Istanbul, one player in the squad has revealed what took place following last month’s home win against Real.
Stones reveals message from parents after Real victory
Speaking to the media on Tuesday (via talkSPORT), Stones said this when asked what it would mean if City were to win the Champions League this weekend.
He said: “It’d be a dream come true. I think when we got into the final, one of my parents text me saying you’ve done it again, made it to a final, and that really hits home that where you are or what situation you’re in because you get taken away by it sometimes.
“I’m extremely proud of what we’ve achieved already this season and now with this game, we need to finish it off.”
Having won the FA Cup and their fifth Premier League title in six years this season, the Manchester club now have the chance to win the ultimate prize and right their wrongs from their previous appearance in a Champions League final back in 2021 where they lost 1-0 to Chelsea.
With City only losing four games in all competitions in 2023, the current run of form they’re on should put them in a good space to beat Inter and win the trophy they have been after for so long.
In terms of Stones’ individual campaign, the Englishman completed the full 90 minutes in both of City’s quarter-final and semi-final games against Bayern Munich and Real, highlighting how important he has been in getting his side to Istanbul.
Looking ahead to Saturday’s big game, if the Premier League champions were to win, it’d be safe to assume that Stones could be getting another text from his parents if he ends up becoming a European champion and a treble winner.
