Football’s future? Man City eye first Champions League win for state-backed club

Saturday’s Champions League final between Manchester City and Inter Milan in Istanbul could mark a definitive turning point in European football.

Victory for City would be the first for a state-backed outfit in Europe’s elite club competition after more than a decade of trying.

The club that has just won a fifth Premier League title in six seasons has been transformed since the 2008 takeover by the Abu Dhabi United Group, backed by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan.

They reached their first Champions League final in 2021, losing 1-0 to Chelsea.

Beaten by Real Madrid in the semi-finals last year, City exacted revenge on the great aristocrats of European football in this season’s semi-finals.

Having added the FA Cup to their Premier League title, they are eyeing a treble in Istanbul, something City boss Pep Guardiola has called a “once in a lifetime” opportunity.

Meanwhile, the rest of Europe must wonder if the sport is headed for a period of City dominance.

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