2023: To Win The Treble Is Truly Special.. – Pep Guardiola As Man City Added The 5th
Reigning Champions, Manchester City won the Club World Cup for the first time to end 2023 with five trophies after a 4-0 win over Fluminense in Jeddah ( Saudi Arabia), on Friday, December 22. City’s victory extended European clubs’ domination of the competition since 2012 and was never in doubt once Julian Alvarez opened the scoring inside the first minute.
Nino’s first-half own goal realistically ended the Brazilians’ dreams of an upset, before Phil Foden and Alvarez rounded off the scoring in the final 20 minutes. After clinching the treble of the club’s first-ever Champions League, Premier League, and FA Cup last season, City also lifted the UEFA Super Cup for the first time in August. Pep Guardiola also made history as the first coach to lift the Club World Cup on four occasions and with three different clubs after previously winning the competition twice at Barcelona and once in charge of Bayern Munich.
“To win the treble was truly special, but to win two more trophies and now hold these five major titles shows the unique mentality of this team,” said Guardiola. “As a manager, it is what I am most proud of: That we are always there. No matter how much we win, no matter what trophies we lift, we are there again to fight for the next one.”
Man City’s poor Premier League form before flying out to Saudi Arabia had raised Fluminense hopes that Guardiola’s men could be vulnerable, but the reverse is the case. City went out to what they are known for and what the expectations are, winning.
