Match day: The 2023 Champions League final
I made the trip to Istanbul, following City in search of the treble and our first champions league trophy. With the disappointment of the final two years ago on my mind and the treble the line, it was squeaky bum time.
I travelled to Istanbul with my brother and my Dad on Friday 9th June and after a flight full of city fans, we’d made it.
Getting to the hotel was a bit stressful as our taxi driver decided prices were up for negotiation rather than an agreed price or using the meter.
With the news that thousands of football fans were about to descend on Istanbul, taxi drivers clear saw the weekend as an opportunity to cash in and this made for some varying taxi prices.
We managed to get to the hotel despite the long taxi negation and headed to bed after watching city’s press conference. Ready for the big one the next day.
The kick off time for the game was a bit weird because the game was due to start at 10pm. This meant we were likely out for the whole day and wouldn’t get back till early morning. With the power of the Turkish sun, we set out knowing we were going to be sweaty for the majority of the day.
We spent the morning doing some site seeing, but after we settled into a bar. The atmosphere was good and the Istanbul locals embraced hosting the game. Bars were busy with fans and anticipation built nicely.
The grand bazaar
A Turkish doner tastes the same as an English doner, who knew?
Praying for a City win at the Blue Mosque
The Hagia Sofia
Trying to relax before the game
At around 5pm, we decided to head to the ground and it was, as you’ve probably heard, a nightmare. The Olympic stadium is some way from the centre of Istanbul, and the journey was effectively gridlocked the whole way.
There was this bizarre situation where buses full of city fans were going the opposite way to us. No one had a clue as to what was going on.
We decided to get out and walk. It took us about 40 minutes to walk there along a busy motorway full of traffic going to the game. A horrible walk, but we got to the ground eventually.
The organisation was further shambles as, for the whole of the city side of the ground, there were only three kiosks where you could buy drink and food.
An absolute joke after having to do a 4km walk to the ground or spending 2 hours squeezed onto a bus. No alcohol at the ground either.
However, UEFA aside and the weird ceremony behind us, it was time for kick off and city immediately looked nervy. Passes weren’t going to feet and this was summed up best when Ederson just booted the ball out of play.
The first half came and went, and with De Bruyne going off, my heart-rate was high.
At half-time, I decided that I didn’t like the Atatürk Olympic Stadium. Firstly, the ground is miles out of Istanbul, and you do feel disconnected from the city, and secondly, you’re miles away from the pitch due to the athletics track. Despite that criticism, it is now my second favourite stadium of all time.
When we came out for the second half, it looked like we were finding space a little better but we still weren’t great but none of that mattered when Rodri caressed the ball into the back of the net.
Scenes.
Then Inter had to pick up the pace. I felt like they started the game happy for penners but now they had to push. With the help of Lukaku, we made it through and I saw city lift the champions league for the first time.
Getting back from the game was also a nightmare with some fans not getting back to the centre of Istanbul until 4am. We lucky found a taxi on the side of the motorway and we got dropped off in Taksim Square where other city fans were celebrating. It’s a wild place and Istanbul is a cracking city for a night out.
My Dad left his phone in the taxi on the way back to the hotel- not the first time he’s left something in a taxi after a few beers- and managed to get his phone dropped off at the airport last minute by the taxi driver. A bit of a stressful ending to the trip.
On Sunday morning, we got a ferry across the Bosphorus at the Galata Bridge. The bridge has a restaurants and cafes under the roadway with locals fishing of the sides. We then headed for the airport pulling the curtains on a brilliant trip.
Turkish coffee- a belting hangover cure
Galata Tower, previously a prison
Galata Bridge
İstiklal road- a shopping street