Man Utd's U18s lost 2-1 to Man City in the FA Youth Cup final, losing out on the trophy after a late goal.
Gabriel looks dejected after the FA Youth Cup final.(Image: 2026 James Gill - Danehouse)
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Pep Guardiola stood with a glass of red wine in the boardroom at the Joie Stadium as Manchester City celebrated winning the FA Youth Cup.
The podium collapsed as City's players wildly celebrated with the trophy, but most of Manchester United's players had walked away at that stage.
There were only two United youngsters left watching: Samuel Lusale and JJ Gabriel. Lusale attempted to lift Gabriel to his feet, but the teenager was so crestfallen he did not move from the turf.
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United's head of academy performance, Matt Walker, spotted Gabriel and made a beeline for him. Walker finally got Gabriel back up from the ground, and he put an arm around him as they returned to the dressing room.
Amir Ibragimov also supported Gabriel when the players picked up their Youth Cup runners-up medals, chaperoning his mate back to the remainder of the squad after spotting how disappointed he looked.
City players Charlie Courtman and Kaden Braithwaite commiserated with James Overy and Nathaniel-Junior Brown while City celebrated after the whistle.
For some of the players who featured in the Youth Cup final, it was their last chance to win the competition. The younger players in the group will have another bite at the cherry next season, but that was no consolation after losing the most coveted trophy in academy football to City.
Gabriel is young enough to get another few cracks at the Youth Cup, which is for players under 18 at the start of the season, but he could quickly progress beyond the point of playing in the competition.
Kai Rooney watched on from behind the bench in his Paul Smith club suit. Rooney was given minutes in the early rounds of the Youth Cup, but he will play a more prominent role next season.
United pick up their runners-up medals.
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City's post-match celebrations stung Fletcher, who believed they were excessive. The U18 United boss spoke to journalists after the final whistle and criticised City for reading out the names of individual coaches during celebrations.
Last week when the Under-21s played at the Joie Stadium, the names of City's goalscorers were announced over the tannoy, but not United's goalscorers.
City officials noted that Fletcher, who was frustrated by the manner of the celebrations and the fiasco over where the final would be played, approached FA officials while the presentations were underway to air his views.
City declined to comment on Fletcher’s complaints, but it is understood their officials privately reacted with amusement because his sons, Jack and Tyler, were sent to City's academy in their formative years.
That seemed like a bizarre reference given Fletcher was not critical of City's academy system - he was merely unhappy with how the celebrations were handled and the circumstances around the venue being chosen.
Both Jack and Tyler Fletcher have made their United senior debuts since leaving City in the summer of 2023. It's understood the pair have no regrets over transferring between the two Manchester clubs.
The reference to the Fletcher twins added to the needle between City and United around the Youth Cup final, with City having been irked by the coverage and reaction over the decision not to play the game at the Etihad.
City received special dispensation to play their Youth Cup fixtures at the Joie Stadium this season, but it's understood the FA were supportive of the game being played at the Etihad if possible. United offered Old Trafford to host the game, but City declined before hitting back at complaints over their decision to play the final at the Joie Stadium.
Fletcher lets rip in the media scrum.
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City's club website referenced "a sold-out Joie Stadium crowd" in the aftermath of the game, but there were empty seats spotted in different areas of the ground during the game, which contributed to the lack of a 'cup final feel'.
However, the presence of Michael Carrick and Guardiola, along with first-team players from both clubs, underlined the game's importance. Bruno Fernandes, Mason Mount and Luke Shaw arrived early and had to be moved from their seats due to the volume of selfie requests from fans.
They were later joined by Patrick Dorgu and Ayden Heaven. United's players posed for photo opportunities with some City fans, while Antoine Semenyo spent around a minute taking photos with supporters at half-time.
Fletcher praised the support from United's first-team staff and players, saying: "It's brilliant, you know, for the players to show that keen interest. It shows they're connected to the club, for the manager, for all the hierarchy.
"Everyone's connected to the youth players. And I can't stress how powerful it is when you see the manager at the game for these young players and for their families and for the first team players to take a keen interest.
"And as you say, probably 90% of our lads have experienced training with the first team this season as well. So the players look after them. And it just shows the togetherness that we have in a group. And I want to thank them all for doing that because I know how much it means.
"I've been there myself. And, you know, again, I think that's just a good sign for Manchester United going forward and where we are as a competition now."
Fletcher answered further questions about the game and admitted that "the best team won". Despite his frustration with City's celebrations and the FA, he heaped praise on their performance and their U18 manager.
What the future holds for Fletcher was also discussed. He wants to go into management, so he felt it was the right choice for him to return to his U18 manager role after serving as first-team caretaker boss for two games.
Fletcher declined the chance to join Carrick's backroom staff. Asked whether he would continue with the U18s next season, he said: "Yeah, listen, exactly. There's no other thought behind it. It's not that you go for the Youth Cup.
"You do go for the Youth Cup in terms of competition that everyone looks towards, but it's really difficult to win. So it'll be a new team, it'll be a different team and we'll see what challenges lie ahead for us. And we talk about development all the time.
"And probably the Youth Cup is the one time where it is a little bit more about picking your strongest team and playing to win. But within that, there's still lots of development. So, yeah, that's where my mind's at just now for sure."
The academy clashes between United and City could be even more interesting next season.