“I’m proud that I was able to do what I had to do.”
Manchester City won the 2022-23 UEFA Champions League final 1-0 against Inter Milan at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey, on Monday (Nov. 11) to clinch the first title in the club’s history.
It was a historic day for City. Not only did they add their first Champions League title to the club’s history, but they also became the first English club to win the treble in 24 years since Manchester United in 1998-99.
Just like two years ago, City ace De Bruyne went down injured in the Champions League final, but he had a smile on his face as the title was won. Photo (Istanbul Turkiye)=AFPBBNews=News1
But the final against Inter was clearly a crisis at every turn, especially in the 38th minute when Kevin De Bruyne was replaced by Phil Foden with a hamstring strain.먹튀검증
Der Bruyne played 53 games for City in the 2022-23 season. In addition, he played more than 10 games for the national team in 2022 and 2023, a total of more than 60 games in one year.
Despite this, Der Bruyne was a steady presence on the pitch, leading City to their treble and success. It’s very difficult to imagine City without him.
Eventually, Der Bruyne collapsed and had to be substituted. City took the pressure off him by beating Inter with Rodri’s late winner. A happy ending. There was no repeat of the disappointment of the Champions League final two years ago (runners-up after De Bruyne’s injury).
The Telegraph, The Times, The Daily Mail, and other media outlets revealed that De Bruyne’s hamstring injury was in fact neither yesterday nor today. It was a shocker. She had been playing with a sore hamstring for two months. It’s kind of creepy to think that the guy who dominated every game, with his kill-passes and cannonball shots, was actually playing with a hamstring injury.
“After the Bayern Munich game, I struggled with a hamstring injury for two months. I missed quite a few games and it was a small tear, but when I came here (Istanbul) I couldn’t continue,” he said.
“Of course, in games like Arsenal, Munich and Real Madrid, I managed to do well. I had some personal things going on, but I managed to play those games with my family.”
Der Bruyne went down with a hamstring injury. He admitted that he had actually been suffering from the pain for two months. Photo (Turkiye, Istanbul)=AFPBBNews=News1
It’s hard to say whether City would have won the treble and their first Champions League title if Der Bruyne had been sidelined for two months, but it’s also hard to deny that his importance is enormous and irreplaceable. Der Bruyne is well aware of this, which is why he fought to the end.
“Everyone at the club knows that. Everyone at the club knows that I give everything for City. I’m proud that I did what I had to do. Of course, it’s unfortunate that something like today (the injury) happened, but we won the Champions League, so it’s not bad.”
The question is what’s next. Der Bruyne will need up to three months of rest. Three months would mean he would miss the start of the 2023-24 season with City. He will also be unable to play any international matches during the offseason. Furthermore, we don’t know when the hamstring injury will reappear as it is highly prone to recurrence.
Despite this, Der Bruyne remains in good spirits. “Last August, my wife said to me, ‘You’re going to win the Champions League,’ and I didn’t really know why, but she always said I was going to do it. Even before the final against Inter, she told me, ‘I’m not worried, you’ll be fine, you’ll win’. She was right in the end and I have to say yes. So it’s a bit of a pity,” he laughs.