'It gives us more hunger, more tenacity' - Inside Man City's year as Champions League winners

The destruction of Real Madrid. The realisation that winning the Champions League meant winning a treble. Nevizade Street. The nightmare journey to reach the Ataturk Stadium. That Kyle Walker decision. Kevin De Bruyne's injury.

Manu Akanji's underhit backpass. Ederson's save from Lautaro Martinez. Rodri's finish and the split-second of silence before the ball hit the back of the net. Ruben Dias' clearance from under his own crossbar. Ederson's save from Romelu Lukaku. Ederson's save from Robin Gosens. The full-time whistle. The treble.

It's hard to believe that Manchester City's Champions League success was a whole year ago, but memories of that weekend in Istanbul will be all over the social media timelines of fans today. City couldn't defend their crown, but have thoroughly enjoyed their status as European champions.

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The party started as soon as the whistle blew and Ilkay Gundogan raised the trophy into the Turkish sky. As the City fans began their arduous hours-long journey back into the city centre, the tunes were blaring in the dressing room and the party continued all night. Jack Grealish didn't take off his City kit, and the squad made time for a night in Ibiza before parading through Manchester a couple of nights later.

Some players made it clear they hadn't slept since the final, and others looked a little worse for wear. They would go off on a well-deserved holiday while the club took advantage of their status as newly-crowned European champions.

The trophy embarked on a worldwide tour along with the Premier League and FA Cup, but first visited a 102-year-old fan in South Manchester and a fan in Bury who had tickets for the Champions League final but couldn't attend for health reasons. Over the course of the year, the trophies visited a range of countries from Norway to India, to the USA and Brazil as City flexed their muscles as European champions.

Closer to home, the trophies were used to give special experiences to deserving fans. They visited Manchester Children's Hospital, as well as going to local hospices to put a smile on the faces of some terminally ill fans and their families. "It was the only dream I had left," one told the Manchester Evening News. There are always more important things than football, yet football can sometimes make the most special memories.

Back at the Etihad, and Pep Guardiola ensured the Champions League trophy was used as a physical reminder to his players and opposition sides. The trophy lived in the first team training centre when it wasn't flying across the world, for the squad to see as they walked in every morning. When City played their first home game of the season, fresh from displaying their treble trophies on the pre-season tour, the sight of the three cups on the pitch was a memorable one ahead of a tight home win against Newcastle.

Eddie Howe commented on the impact that reminder had on his squad, while Sheffield United's Chris Wilder said similar when he saw the three trophies - plus the Super Cup and Club World Cup - on the pitch ahead of kick-off in December after City were crowned World champions.

City were using their status as European champions to get a sporting advantage all year as well as a commercial one - and also ensuring the club's charity arm could take the trophies to as many supporters in need as possible.

On the pitch, City recorded a 100 per cent group stage as their Champions League defence began, as well as a comprehensive win over Copenhagen in the last-16. A tough draw saw their run to the final face Real Madrid, then Bayern Munich or Arsenal, and then potentially Paris Saint-Germain.

They wouldn't get past Madrid, but a thrilling draw in the Bernabeu and a 1-1 contest at the Etihad meant that they were knocked out on penalties. “Let’s be clear, we didn’t lose a single game in the Champions League. No team actually beat us in 90 minutes or 120 minutes," said chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak last week.

"We lost on penalty kicks. Penalty kicks, winner or loser, it’s a flip of a coin at the end of the day. So, we gave it an incredible shot, we got to the quarter-finals, we played against our rival, the most decorated team in European club history. But there’s always a silver lining, that gives us more hunger, more tenacity."

City last lost a game inside 90 minutes in the Champions League in April 2022, 23 fixtures ago. Include the Super Cup, and City have lost just once in their last 30 European outings stretching back to December 2021.

The Champions League unlocked the chance to win the Super Cup and Club World Cup, and the City fans won't tire of singing about being champions of Europe. The club have clearly maximised the potential of holding the European Cup for a year, and the playing staff are hungry to win it again. The commercial team will be keen to get their hands on the trophy again in future.

12 months on from City's highest ever high, and they are well-placed to make it to Munich next May. If they got there, and won a second Champions League trophy, you can be sure they will make the most of being European champions once again.