Rodri fired the winning goal as Manchester City finally claimed Champions League glory and completed the treble with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Inter Milan.
The midfielder rifled home in the 68th minute as the Premier League winners City wore down the Italians in a draining final at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul on Saturday.
The contest was a tight one, with City suffering a serious blow in pursuit of the prize that has eluded them for so long when they lost Kevin De Bruyne to injury in the first half.
The prolific Erling Haaland was also kept quiet by a stubborn Inter side but Rodri eventually made the breakthrough with a firm strike after a Bernardo Silva pass was deflected into his path.
It capped a momentous season for City having also won the FA Cup as well as a fifth Premier League title in six years. Their success means they also join rivals Manchester United as the only side to have won all three of those trophies in the same season.
It meant mission accomplished for owner Sheikh Mansour, who was present in Istanbul at only his second match since purchasing the club in 2008 and subsequently propelling them to the game’s top table.
Manager Pep Guardiola could also celebrate Champions League success again 12 years after the second of his two wins as Barcelona boss.
City had gone into the match as strong favourites but Inter proved more than a match, setting out with a determination to soak up pressure.
It made for a slow start and City lacked their usual sparkle.
That gave Inter confidence and Federico Dimarco sparked a threatening attack after seizing possession but Marcelo Brozovic’s shot was deflected wide.
Ederson also seemed nervous and misplaced a pass that handed Nicolo Barella a long-range sight of goal. Fortunately for the Brazilian, Barella’s effort was nowhere near the target.
Haaland had his first attempt after being played in by De Bruyne but Andre Onana blocked his first-time shot.
De Bruyne tried his luck himself from distance but his effort lacked power and his final was, once again, to end in frustration soon after.
The Belgian went down clutching his hamstring 10 minutes before the interval and, despite attempts to run off the problem, was forced to admit defeat soon after and was replaced by Phil Foden.
It meant further Champions League final woe for De Bruyne after he left the field with a facial injury during City’s loss to Chelsea two years ago.
The opening stages of the second half followed a similar pattern but Inter eventually started to assert themselves more and they began to look dangerous.
City had a let-off just before the hour when Manuel Akanji reacted slowly to a Silva pass and Lautaro Martinez charged into the box. Former Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku was well placed in the centre but Martinez opted to shoot and Ederson smothered his effort.
City made the most of that reprieve and took the lead moments after a John Stones cross was deflected close to his own goal by Alessandro Bastoni.
Akanji played the key pass as he picked out Silva and his cutback eventually fell to Rodri, who thumped the ball into the net from the edge of the area.
City fans greeted the strike with a mixture of celebration and relief but they were given a scare minutes later when Dimarco hit the bar with a looping header and then headed against Lukaku on the rebound.
Foden had a chance to put City in firm control when he burst through a gap into the area but Onana got down well to save.
City survived a late scare when a Lukaku header hit Ederson’s legs and was put behind by Ruben Dias and the final whistle was greeted by jubilant celebrations.
Bellingham hails 'big player' Mbappe in Stuttgart triumph
Jude Bellingham lauded yet another landmark moment in the career of Kylian Mbappe after the Frenchman marked his Champions League debut for Real Madrid with a goal.
Mbappe, who has five goals in his first seven games for his new club, opened the scoring in Los Blancos' 3-1 win over Stuttgart on Tuesday.
The 25-year-old's effort saw him net his 49th Champions League goal, with only Robert Lewandowski (61) scoring more in the competition since Mbappe's debut.
He also became the second Frenchman to score on his debut for Madrid in the competition, joining Christian Karembeu who netted against Bayer Leverkusen in 1998.
Bellingham explained how quickly Mbappe has settled into life in the Spanish capital, saying: "He's going to be a huge player for us, this season and beyond.
"He always delivers so far, it's a lot of pressure coming to a club like Madrid, but he's taken to it really easily and the lads love him already."The encounter against Stuttgart also marked Bellingham's return to the side after the England midfielder missed the last four games with a muscle injury.
Upon his return, Bellingham won more tackles (two) and accumulated the highest pass accuracy (93.3%) of anyone in the Los Blancos side.
Across all competitions last year, Bellingham made 42 appearances, notching 23 goals and laying on a further 13 assists in his debut year at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Having also starred for England at Euro 2024, the 21-year-old was excited to be back out on the pitch and is aiming for more success this term.
"Three-and-a-half weeks [out] has been difficult. I've not been injured a lot in my career, so whenever it happens, I'm a bit impatient," he said.
“But this time I wanted to take it slowly and agreed this would be the game I came back in – maybe off the bench – but I was buzzing to start.
"In the first half I left it all out there, I was that excited and all over the place, just wanting to create and get in the box.
“Second half, I probably just ran out of a bit of steam, so I stayed a little bit deeper, but I'm getting used to being back, finding my feet again and I'm sure I'll be fine this season."
Rabiot seals Ligue 1 return with Marseille transfer
Adrien Rabiot's wait to find a new club is finally over after his move to Marseille was officially confirmed on Tuesday.
Rabiot joins the Ligue 1 club following his departure from Juventus at the end of last season and has signed a two-year contract with Roberto De Zerbi's side.
The 29-year-old was reportedly of interest to several Premier League clubs, including Manchester United, but the France international has opted to return to his homeland.
Rabiot offers the French outfit an experienced option in midfield, having made 163 Ligue 1 appearances during his seven-year stint with Paris Saint-Germain.
He won 18 major titles during his time with the Parisiens before making the move to Juventus in 2019.
The Frenchman appeared 212 times in all competitions for the Serie A giants, netting 22 times and laying on a further 15 assists across his five-year stay in Turin.
In his final season with Juventus, Rabiot made 31 league appearances, with his 39 tackles won a total only bettered by Bremer (42) and Manuel Locatelli (43) in their squad.
Rabiot becomes the latest addition to a Marseille side that has started the new campaign with 10 points from their opening four games under new head coach De Zerbi.
Roma part ways with De Rossi following winless Serie A start
Roma have confirmed the sacking of head coach Daniele De Rossi after the Italian failed to win any of his first four Serie A games this season.
De Rossi replaced Jose Mourinho as interim boss back in January, and had only signed a contract extension with the club in June until 2027.
But a run of three draws and one defeat to start the new campaign has seen the 41-year-old part ways with the club he made 616 appearances for as a player.
Roma's draw with Genoa last Sunday marked only the fourth time in their history after 1974-75, 1984-85 and 2010-11 that the Giallorossi had failed to win any of their first four Serie A games.
Koni De Winter's late leveller for Genoa also extended Roma's barren run to just one win from their last 11 games in all competitions (drawn six and lost four).
"AS Roma announces that Daniele De Rossi has been relieved of his duties as head coach of the first team," a club statement said.
"The club's decision is made in the best interests of the team, to get back on the desired path as soon as possible at a time when the season is still in its early stages.
"A heartfelt thank you to Daniele, who will always be at home at the Giallorossi club, for the work he has done in recent months with passion and dedication.
"Communication regarding the team's technical guidance will follow."
The Italian oversaw 30 games in charge of Roma in all competitions, winning 14 of those (drawn nine and lost seven), while scoring 46 goals.
His time at the Stadio Olimpico came to an end having averaged 1.70 points per match, accumulating a total win percentage of 46.67%.
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