A trophy-laden City

Jeddah, December 23

Pep Guardiola is happy to call Manchester City the best in the world this year, but an all-time great team? That debate must wait for years if not decades.

1 City are the first English club to simultaneously hold the Premier League, FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup crown

1 Pep Guardiola is the first manager to win the Club World Cup with three teams, guiding Barcelona to victory in 2009 and 2011, and Bayern Munich in 2013

I am so proud of this club. What we have done is an outstanding achievement. To win this trophy is to be the best team in the world. Pep Guardiola, Man city manager

“Right now, I don’t know,” Guardiola said after City cruised to their first Club World Cup title by easily beating Fluminense 4-0 on Friday, lifting a fifth domestic and international trophy in 2023.

Julian Alvarez netted a brace and City never let their Brazilian opponents find their groove.

Guardiola is the first coach to win the FIFA club title with three different teams and compared City’s status to the great Barcelona side he led to be the champions of Spain, Europe and the world in 2011.

“If people talk about the team 25 or 30 years later it means you’re a really good team,” he said. “Today is nice. We have been the best team in the world.”

Judgment on this Man City era also must wait for the outcome of an English Premier League investigation into alleged financial wrongdoing at the club for almost a decade through 2018.

A hearing is expected late next year to examine 115 charges levelled against the club for conduct during the first nine full seasons after being bought by the royal family of Abu Dhabi. Verdicts are not expected until 2025, when City will play in the first revamped Club World Cup with 32 teams.

Guardiola’s team has been unquestionably the best in Europe this year and was simply too good for overmatched Fluminense, who could ill afford unlucky bounces of the ball that left the first-time champions of South America in a two-goal hole within 27 minutes.

“We prepared the whole year for (Copa) Libertadores but not the Club World Cup,” Fluminense coach Fernando Diniz said of his team being drained by winning its continental title seven weeks ago.

Victory came at a cost for City, which gave Europe a 16th title in 17 editions of FIFA’s competition for continental champions.

Key midfielder Rodri limped away from the stadium with his right knee heavily bandaged after a heavy tackle by Fluminense substitute Alexsander. — AP 

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