JACK GAUGHAN: It’s party time for Manchester City! Pep Guardiola’s heroes celebrate until dawn

With a boombox in one hand and a can of Heineken in the other, Jack Grealish made his way to the Manchester City bus at nearly 1:30 on Sunday morning.

At the time, the player exit of the Ataturk Stadium was still very busy, cleaners were admonished by UEFA suits for lighting leaf blowers to remove dirt from the floor – creating a hefty cloud of smoke – without disturbing their distinguished guests. had left the stadium. scene of the city’s biggest night.

Grealish led them out, mocking Kevin De Bruyne as he sauntered past loudly playing Fleetwood Mac.

The players have started singing the modified terrace chant in the locker room during a season where they felt closer to the fans than ever before.

When it comes to nights like this, there are plenty of staff who will follow Grealish everywhere. He is usually the linchpin of everything.

His father, Kevin, could just muster the words “great, great” yesterday morning, with a medal still hanging around his neck, giving a good indication of how things were going.

It was late – and some hadn’t finished by the time they started to leave Istanbul just before lunch, Ederson holding a bottle of Asahi as Pep Guardiola’s team tearfully made their way to the airport for the parade today in central Manchester.

Staf knocked it on the head between six and seven, but the players are different animals.

The champagne wouldn’t drink itself.

They partied at the team hotel, a JW Marriott overlooking the Sea of ​​Marmara.

A little tucked away from the hustle and bustle of an enchanting city full of life, and certainly away from Taksim Square where their supporters drank the place down for three days.

Their heroes succeeded in a matter of hours, or seemed to do so with the number of Gray Goose bottles knocking around.

The hotel opened downstairs for City, who had brought the Premier League and FA Cup trophies for company and paraded them in the fan zone earlier in the day.

Glistering, they waited for photos with staff – of which there were about 400 in Turkey – and families, with an outdoor space with several decks.

There was a time when some drifted away when Erling Haaland, who had previously stood on the pitch in tears, took over as DJ.

He would later light up one of the big cigars that Guardiola normally devours when the sun rises.

Still in full gear, Grealish was still leading chants at 5am – respectfully asking ‘have you ever won a Treble?’ with the answer not so polite – on a perch with Haaland, Kyle Walker and John Stones.

Dressing room sources say they have never seen a closer squad before, which is partly due to how close the players live to each other.

“I haven’t had a beer in 11 months,” Stones had said as he hurried back to the stadium to meet the coach shortly after Manuel Akanji ventured that he was “playing like Maradona.”

Kit man Brandon Ashton had completed his traditional abs in the dressing room at the time and was on his way to the Champions League trophy, and his popularity is such that he was even asked to sign a City shirt.

Little Ronnie Foden sat on his father’s shoulders as City’s group danced frantically. Haaland kicked a ball around with De Bruyne’s son, Mason, on the grass.

But they were exhausted, a mentally exhausting match – with Inter feeling unhappy to have missed extra time – to end an exhausting pursuit of this trophy.

It has weighed heavily on the team and their great manager for too long, which is why captain Ilkay Gundogan’s burst of emotion by sprinting to a corner of the traveling 20,000 fans, silverware in hand, was so moving to the fans in that area .

They sang and sang back in the dressing room, mostly to Queen. Ruben Dias sarcastically told Kyle Walker it was “just another day at the office,” while unlikely contest winner Rodri was serenaded.

There was more time for reflection at the Marriott, where families could enjoy the glory of what had been achieved – only the second English club to do so after rivals Manchester United in 1999.

Regardless of your take on the Premier League’s charge of alleged financial breaches, or the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturning a two-year European suspension, it’s hard to disapprove of this team and backroom staff at their Treble.

Coincidentally, David Gill was on a flight full of City fans back to Manchester on Sunday afternoon.

Guardiola spoke of the ‘relief’ associated with Saturday night’s success that it was effectively a monkey off his back and the club.

He pointed out that European success means the five league titles will now attract more admiration as they are lumped together in a way that has happened to other big teams.

But they do not yet fully know what has been achieved, or at least cannot comprehend the magnitude of the achievement.

Guardiola may have done it before, the only manager to complete two Trebles, but that this was City’s first and could provide a platform for more will otherwise arrive at a place he feels so empowered by.

As a senior City staffer told Mail Sport on Sunday: ‘This won’t sink in until Monday. We’ll be with our people on Monday. When we see our people on the street, you realize it.’

Sunday was a daze and not just because of the beer mist.