Kevin De Bruyne has revealed his Champions League final hamstring injury had plagued him through the final weeks of Manchester City’s charge to treble glory.
ALSO READ: Champions League win was ‘written in the stars’, says Guardiola
De Bruyne was forced to come off after 35 minutes of City’s 1-0 win against Inter Milan in the Champions League showpiece on Saturday.
City’s treble-clinching triumph in Istanbul was one match too many for De Bruyne at the end of gruelling personal campaign.
He knew he had been at risk of aggravating the problem for several weeks, but opted to play on as City powered to Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League silverware.
The Belgium midfielder now faces a fight to be fit in time for the start of next season after reportedly snapping the hamstring.
“I give everything for my team and the people in the club know that. I feel proud that I’ve been able to do what I did,” De Bruyne said.
“It’s a shame that it went the way it did for me here, but we go away winning the Champions League so there’s nothing bad towards it.
“I felt all right this week, but I’ve been told for two months it was a risk but, you know, you take it.
“I did what I had to do. Obviously, I missed some games, but the games like Arsenal, Bayern and Madrid I managed to do it.
“I had some personal things happen with my family on top of that and I managed that, but, here, the hamstring just snapped.”
De Bruyne also failed to complete the 2021 Champions League final against Chelsea after sustaining a serious facial injury.
On that occasion, City were beaten 1-0, but this time Pep Guardiola’s men triumphed to end their long wait to win Europe’s elite club competition for the first time.
“I’ve basically been fighting all my career with my team to win this medal,” added De Bruyne.
– ‘Build a legacy’ –
City are only the second English club after Manchester United in 1999 to win all three major trophies in a single season.
With five Premier League titles in the last six seasons, they are already a domestic dynasty.
But Rodri, the match-winner in Istanbul, is hoping this is just the start of a period of European success for the club.
“I said this before the game it was so important to win against Inter because we can build a legacy for the future. This is what teams like Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, AC Milan – these kind of clubs – did in the past,” said the Spanish international.
“We believe we can do it again. I think that’s why it’s so important.”
Rodri was controversially left out by Guardiola when City reached the final for the first time two years ago.
But he has flourished into one of the world’s best midfielders since and was an almost ever-present in City’s march to victory across three competitions.
“They trusted me to come here, even though the change wasn’t easy,” added Rodri. “It was a new culture for me and I arrive now scoring the most important goal in the history of this club.
“We deserve this. What a season!”
ALSO READ: Inter ‘didn’t deserve to lose’ Champions League final: Inzaghi
With De Bruyne sidelined for much of the match, John Stones emerged as one of City’s key midfielders.
The England defender has been deployed out of position by Guardiola recently and once again he was up to the challenge.
City defender Manuel Akanji was so impressed with Stones, he made a tongue in cheek comparison to Argentine legend Diego Maradona.
“The way he dribbled, he played like Maradona. He just took the ball, went past three people, passed it somewhere else,” Akanji said.
“He created a lot of opportunities for us. He is an unbelievable player.”
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