It rained as Manchester City celebrated winning the treble of major trophies — Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League — on 12 June. The newest addition, the Super Cup Trophy, too, will be on display.
“It had to be the best parade with this rain, otherwise this is not Manchester,” manager Pep Guardiola said after the open-top blue bus reached the stage on St Peter’s Square in Manchester,
The weathermen have predicted thunderstorms for Kochi on Saturday, 23 September, evening, even as the Manchester City’s Treble Trophy Tour keeps its date with the Queen of the Arabian Sea. The adverse weather, however, will remain helpless — as it did as Kerala Blasters pipped Bengaluru FC 2-1 in Kochi on Thursday, 21 September.
Football is in the DNA of the average Malayali, which even FIFA acknowledged during the World Cup last year. Keralites have been awaiting the Manchester City Treble Trophy Tour ever since the premier English football club announced its itinerary on 6 July.
“After Kochi, the tour will travel to Mumbai,” the club announced on its website. The tour is part of “taking our trophies closer to fans in Manchester and around the world”, it added.
The trophies have visited Japan, South Korea, Greece, the UK, and China. From India, the touring party will head to Indonesia, the UAE, Australia, Norway, Argentina, and the US before winding up at Salvador in Brazil on 14 January.
This visit will offer fans in Kerala a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get up close and personal with some of the most prestigious trophies in football.
The event, to be hosted in the bustling Atrium of LuLu Mall at Edappally, promises a day filled with excitement and football fervor. Football fans from across the region are eagerly anticipating the chance to see and photograph the iconic silverware.
The team released an image on the social media platform, X, announcing their arrival.
We’ve arrived in India for the next stop of our #TrebleTrophyTour 🏆🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/T1YmbSrR5i
— Manchester City (@ManCity) September 20, 2023
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LuLu to screen Nottingham match
As part of the festivities, LuLu Mall is also offering a screening of Manchester City’s game against Nottingham Forest. Although registration for the ground floor space has closed, football enthusiasts can still secure additional viewing spaces on other levels of the mall.
Adding to the excitement are special guests who will be present at the event. Moonchester, the team mascot, is set to delight fans of all ages with his antics. Renowned City legend Nedum Onuoha, who holds a special place in the hearts of Manchester City supporters, will also be in attendance.
According to the official statement released by the team, Manchester City coaches will be conducting free training sessions for children, providing young football enthusiasts with a unique opportunity to learn from the best in the business.
One of the most appealing aspects of the event is that most activities are open on a first-come, first-served basis, eliminating the need for pre-registration. Attendees can simply show up and immerse themselves in the world of football glory.
Football fans in Kochi are counting down the hours until they can witness history as the Treble Trophies come to their city. The event promises to be a day of joy, celebration, and football. The event is from 10 am to 5 pm.
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All roads lead to Kochi
“What was missing in our trophy cabinet was a Champions League trophy, I remember the sleepless night when the Rodri goal made history for the club, a retort to everyone who made snide remarks at Man City for not having a Champions Trophy, Well, we now have the whole European set and it is coming to Kochi,” City fan Steffin Jose could not hide his excitement.
“Many City fans are gathering at Kochi, A group from Malappuram is coming to witness the trophies,” Fawaz M, an active member of Cityzens, the fan club of Manchester City FC, said.
“The fan participation has increased great loads after Guardiola took over as the coach of Man City, bringing his expertise to the team. It also drew many young fans to the club who started to view the matches,” he added.
In terms of the quality of football, The English Premier League is a notch above the rest, according to the fans.
“The EPL is by far the most engaging professional football league, in terms of competition, multiple teams fight for the top slot, instead of just two or three like in other leagues, It is highly competitive and engaging,” another Cityzen, Kevin, said.
“My profile picture on social media for the next 2 months will be the treble trophies,” Jose added.
