Manchester City celebrated Bank Holiday Monday with a party and parade in the city centre and there was a lot going on.
City partied hard on Monday
City partied hard on Monday
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Manchester City partied hard on Bank Holiday Monday in what turned out to be the final farewell for Pep Guardiola. The Catalan took the decision to say goodbye to the Etihad after ten seasons in charge that have brought twenty trophies.
There was plenty to celebrate for the thousands following the team buses for the men's team, women's team and Under-18s as they made their way through Manchester city centre, and then the Co-Op Live arena proved to be a spectacular finishing point for Guardiola and everyone else. Nearly 20,000 packed into a venue that was thankfully much cooler than the weather outside for more interviews and trophy lifts.
City got their presentation spot on, and there was so much going on around the stage that it was easy to miss what everyone was getting up to. Here are some of the events from Monday night that may not have come across to those inside the arena or watching the live stream.
Rodri revels at party
If you have to pick out the person enjoying themselves the most at the party, it would probably go to Rodri. The Spaniard danced to his song on top of the bus and then was seen living his best life with teammates after carrying out the 2023 Champions League trophy from the final where he scored the winning goal.
Rodri's future is still uncertain going into the summer and he said recently that there were other priorities with the World Cup, but anyone looking for signs from his behaviour on Monday would have seen a player that looked very happy to be part of this City squad.
Pep gesture
Much of the night was about celebrating Guardiola, but as the outgoing manager was sought to take centre stage he was more interested in making sure club legend Mike Summerbee got down the stairs in the arena. Guardiola spoke last week of how having meals regularly with Summerbee helped to remind him of the feel of the club and the city, and it showed the measure of the Catalan that he looked out for him when he was expected to be the focus.
Guardiola was given a grand unveiling when he arrived at the club and it bewildered him. He isn't a lover of the spotlight anyway but after ten years the coach has a genuine connection and so many memories to celebrate with supporters who have backed him all the way that it all felt much more natural.
Part of that was because it was much more in keeping with the humour of the fanbase. Whereas Guardiola was treated on his arrival ten years ago as a saint coming down to bless the Etihad, this time on stage he was mocked for all of his eccentricities; after playing a famous clip of him talking to nobody on the touchline and asking what on earth he was doing, quick-witted Blues jumped into a chorus of the Invisible Man to help Guardiola out.
Old-school feel extends to women's team
With blue moons and inflatable bananas hanging from the rooftop, City also pulled off their moment with the women's team perfectly. Managing to keep it secret that star striker Bunny Shaw was in fact staying at the club and signing a new contract until the moment she was on stage was a great bit of theatre that produced one of the biggest roars of the night inside the arena.
The women's team couldn't celebrate as wildly as the men's team because their season isn't over and they are in the FA Cup final at the weekend, but this was a nice way of making them central to the evening and putting them in the spotlight. With a new £10m bespoke facility just opened for them at the training ground, City are offering plenty of reasons for their women's players to want to stick around.
Think of the children
It's also worth highlighting that the Under-18s team got their own bus in the parade and had their own section in front of the crowd to celebrate their achievements. Their season ended with a disappointing loss to Chelsea in the national final, but a few weeks ago they beat United to win the FA Youth Cup.
That game was overshadowed by some of the biggest whingeing imaginable because the game was not being played at the Etihad or Old Trafford, with moans from Reds that youngsters would be denied what could be one of the landmark occasions of their careers. One of the points raised internally at City was that they are developing youngsters to have big opportunities, and being part of a parade is not one that many will forget quickly.
Semenyo takes his place
Many of the guests invited to celebrate Guardiola's trophies were famous parts of City's past, such as Fernandinho and Vincent Kompany. Having scored the winner in the FA Cup final and then the final goal of Guardiola's Premier League era, it was fitting that January signing Antoine Semenyo took to the stage as the last part of such a feted lineup.
Semenyo is one of the players tasked with carrying on City's standards and, after playing a big role in them winning two domestic cups this season, he has to show that he can step up in the Premier League and Champions League next year.