Champions League final: Man City vs Inter past meetings and shared former players
Friday, June 9, 2023
Article summary
Manchester City and Inter will face each other for the first time when they meet in the UEFA Champions League final in Istanbul.
Article top media content
Article body
After another thrilling and unpredictable UEFA Champions League campaign we are now down to the final two teams, with Man City set to take on Inter in a blockbuster final in Istanbul on 10 June.
The sides may never have met in UEFA club competition but, as we discover, they have plenty of friends in common.
Mario Balotelli
Balotelli broke through as a promising young forward at Inter, scoring a total of 28 goals across three seasons at San Siro between 2007 and 2010. He also hit two Champions League goals for the Nerazzurri, and was part of the side which won the competition under José Mourinho in 2009/10.
That summer he made the move to City, where he stayed for two-and-a-half seasons, scoring three further Champions League goals and helping his side win the Premier League and FA Cup. Balotelli later returned Serie A to play for Inter's neighbours, AC Milan, subsequently representing Liverpool and Marseille among others.
Aleksandar Kolarov
Serbian left-back Kolarov represented City 247 times in all competitions from 2010 to 2017. He was a crucial member of the squad under Roberto Mancini, Manuel Pellegrini and, initially, Pep Guardiola, winning five major trophies in Manchester. After a spell at Roma, Kolarov joined Inter in September 2020, making 15 appearances in all competitions before announcing his retirement in June 2022.
Patrick Vieira
A Premier League great, former France midfielder Vieira joined Inter in 2006 after just one season at Italian rivals Juventus following a move from long-time employers Arsenal. Vieira picked up three Serie A titles at San Siro before departing for City in January 2010, where he won the FA Cup the following season before hanging up his boots.
Edin Džeko
Bosnia and Herzegovina forward Džeko could well lead the line for Inter against his old club in Istanbul. The 37-year-old enjoyed four-and-a-half successful years at City, from 2010 to 2015, scoring 72 goals in 189 appearances in all competitions and winning two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and a League Cup.
He went on to join Roma before the switch to Inter in 2021, where he has since become a hugely influential figure. Džeko has scored three goals in the Champions League this season.
Roberto Mancini
Mancini enjoyed successful spells in charge at both Inter and City. After cutting his teeth at Fiorentina and Lazio, the former forward took over at San Siro in 2004. He won three Serie A titles and two editions of the Coppa Italia before making the move to City.
In Manchester he won the club's first-ever Premier League title, in 2012, along with an FA Cup the season before. After less than nine months in charge of Galatasaray, Mancini returned to Inter in 2014. He left two years later, though, and is now at the helm of the Italian national team, guiding them to UEFA EURO 2020 glory.