Erling Haaland said Pep Guardiola is the best manager in the world after Manchester City won their first Champions League title on Saturday night.
A 1-0 victory over Inter Milan inside the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, courtesy of Rodri's 68th-minute strike, crowned City the kings of Europe and ensured Guardiola's team became just the second English club to win the treble after rivals Manchester United in 1999.
Haaland has played a central role in City's remarkable success this season. The Norwegian striker, signed from Borussia Dortmund last summer, has enjoyed a record-breaking campaign to fire City to a third straight Premier League title and the FA Cup. Of his 52 goals, 12 came in the Champions League to finish well clear as the tournament's top scorer. Liverpool's Mohamed Salah was second with eight goals.
"It's such a big game, the pressure is unbelievable, you all know that," Haaland, 22, said.
"To work with Pep is really special. We have a good relationship and he's helped me a lot. I look forward to developing even more.
“I'm still young, I have a lot of years left. To be getting trained by him every day, the best coach in the world, it's a good place to be.”
Haaland has been happy to admit throughout the season that the primary reason City signed him was to win the Champions League, and the club have done exactly that in his first year.
"Unbelievable. In my wildest dreams I would never think of this as a 22-year-old me to be honest," Haaland said. “But it shows that it's possible for a guy from a small town in Norway.
“This also gives, I think, motivation to other young people in my same kind of situation playing football in the indoor hall in my hometown."
Champions League final player ratings
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MANCHESTER CITY RATINGS: Ederson - 8. Had a couple of shaky moments in the first half, but made the biggest save of the game with his legs to deny Lukaku late on, and again to deny a header at the death. Getty -
Manuel Akanji - 6. Took matters into his own hands by taking aim from long range on the stroke of half time, but he failed to keep his effort on target. Breathed a huge sigh of relief after Martinez failed to beat Ederson from close range due to his error. EPA -
Ruben Dias - 7. Made an inch-perfect tackle to stop Dzeko from running through on goal in the 14th minute. Made a last-ditch clearance after Dimarco’s effort came off the crossbar in the second half. Getty -
Nathan Ake - 7. Coming off the back of an injury, Ake provided an assured display at left-back and dealt well with the threat of Dumfries. Did well to intercept Barella’s first-time cross into the danger area with his head in the 14th minute. Getty -
John Stones - 8. An impeccable performance from Stones in his new hybrid role. The Englishman defended well and stepped into midfield to help mop up counterattacks. AFP -
Rodri - 8. Was having a tough game due to his inability to help City dictate play from the middle of the field. He turned things around by grabbing the final’s solitary goal with a low effort from the edge of the penalty area. AFP -
Bernardo Silva - 7. Not as influential in attack as he was against Real Madrid in the semi-final. Had the first attempt at goal in the final, but he failed to find the top corner with his effort. Had a hand in the goal as his cross was deflected into the path of Rodri to sweep home. EPA -
Jack Grealish - 6. Not one of his best outings for Pep Guardiola’s side, but he did well to limit Dumfries’ forays forward. Took the wrong decision to have an effort at goal when he had the chance to whip in a dangerous cross into the penalty area halfway through the first half. PA -
Kevin De Bruyne - 6. Slipped when he had the first real chance to link up with Haaland around the Inter Milan penalty area in the 24th minute. Unlucky to be forced off with an injury on the biggest night of his career in the 35th minute. AFP -
Ilkay Gundogan - 6, A quiet but solid game from Gundogan in the middle of the field. The German was forced to sit deep and help the Premier League champions control proceedings from deep. AFP -
Erling Haaland - 6, A rare night without a goal for Haaland, but he kept the Italians backline on their toes for 90 minutes. Had his first attempt on goal in the 26th minute, but Onana was equal to his effort. Getty -
SUBS: Phil Foden (De Bruyne, 38') - 6. Had a good chance to put the game to bed, but failed to beat Onana when he was played through on goal in the 78th minute. Reuters -
Kyle Walker (Stones, 82) - N/A. The right-back helped City hold on to the lead as the Italians searched for an equaliser. EPA -
INTER MILAN RATINGS: Andre Onana - 7. Called into action for the first time by Haaland in the 26th minute, and he provided a good save to keep the tie level. Stopped Foden from making it two with a fantastic save in the second half. AFP -
Matteo Darmian - 6. Had a good game except for one costly error. Could have done better to close up the space Rodri had in the build-up to the English side’s decisive goal. EPA -
Francesco Acerbi - 8. Brilliant on the night as he stayed close to Haaland and ensured the Norwegian didn’t get enough clear-cut chances to do the damage. AFP -
Alessandro Bastoni - 7. Did well to block Stones’s cross in the 63rd minute. Showed tremendous composure to stop Haaland from running through on goal in the 67th minute. Getty -
Denzel Dumfries - 5. Not at his attacking best on the night and was beaten on a number of occasions by Grealish in defence. Brought a good attacking move to an end with his indecisiveness in the first half. AP -
Federico Dimarco - 7. Crucial to Inter Milan’s attacking play in the first half as he repeatedly played in dangerous crosses. Thought he had grabbed an equaliser in the 70th minute, but his header came off the bar. AP -
Marcelo Brozovic - 7. A good performance from the experienced Croatian in the middle of the field. He helped the Italians stop City from playing their free-flowing football. Blazed an effort high and wide from the edge of the penalty area in the 19th minute. AP -
Nicolo Barella - 6. Lacked the quality to provide the final touch or pass in attack. Would feel he could have done better when he failed to hit the target with a first-time effort after pouncing on an Ederson error. AFP -
Hakan Calhanoglu - 4. A near-invisible performance from the Turkish midfielder on a night the Italians needed him to help unlock Guardiola’s backline. He struggled to create openings for his teammates. AFP -
Lautaro Martinez - 4. Another player that could have done better with his decision-making on a big night. Aimed for goal and failed to beat Ederson when he could have passed the ball to Lukaku or Brozovic. AFP -
Edin Dzeko - 5. Worked hard and brought his teammates into play with excellent hold-up play in the first half, but Manchester City defenders took advantage of his lack of pace to stop him. AP -
SUBS: Romelu Lukaku (Dzeko,57') - 3. Unlucky to unknowingly block Dimarco’s goal-bound effort in the 70th minute. Forced Ederson into a routine save two minutes later. Should have brought the Italians level, but he could only head straight at Ederson when he had the whole goal to aim at. AFP -
Robin Gosens (Bastoni, 76) - N/A. Overcooked his cross when he had the chance to find a blue and black jersey in the penalty area. Did well to find Lukaku with a header into the danger area in the 89th minute. AFP -
Raoul Bellanova (Dumfries, 76) - N/A. Put in a number of crosses after coming on, one of which led to Lukaku’s headed chance that he failed to convert. Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Calhanoglu, 84) - N/A. Danilo D’ Ambrosio (Damian, 84) - N/A. AFP
The City celebrations are expected to last several days, with an open-top bus parade in Manchester scheduled for Monday. However, Haaland said it will soon be time to get back to work and focus on defending City's three trophies.
"We have to defend what we achieved this season. That's how it works," he said. “In a month, two months everything is forgotten and we have to attack it again."
Grealish hails 'genius' Guardiola
Jack Grealish also paid a special tribute to Guardiola. The midfielder became the most expensive English player in history when he joined City in 2021, and after an inconsistent debut season, Grealish has been exceptional this campaign.
“He is a genius," Grealish said. "I said to him ‘I want to thank you because you’ve made this happen for me’.
“He signed me for a lot of money and even when I was playing bad, he stayed there with me. This year he has given me the platform to play and perform and I just said ‘thank you’ to him.”
Before the Champions League final, Grealish had said it was a "dream" to play in this City team, and the 27-year-old England international again praised his teammates for their historic season.
“This is just what you work your whole life for. I’m so happy," he said. “To win a treble with these players is so special.
“Everyone who knows me knows how much I’m a family person and how much I love football. Thanks to all the people who have helped me along the way. I just saw my family in the crowd and it makes me emotional.”
