‘Absolutely buzzing’: Manchester City celebrate historic treble in victory parade

“We have a neighbour, and sometimes neighbours are noisy, but you can’t do anything about them,” said Sir Alex Ferguson in 2009, when Manchester United were champions of England and fought their squabbles with Europe’s elite, not the blue-shirted big mouths next door.

Fourteen years on, Manchester City are the greatest team in world football and, if that was not enough, their Champions League triumph on Saturday brought a deafening end to their red rival’s claim to be the only English club to have won the coveted treble.

Manchester City have not so much raised the volume as kicked down the fence and raided their neighbour’s trophy cabinet. And in a victory parade interrupted by bursts of thunder, lightning and torrential rain, it was their turn to celebrate.

“Mr Ferguson will be delighted because he will sleep well tonight if he’s around here,” said Gerard Visco, 85, shouting to make himself heard against a cacophony of hooters and fireworks.

A lifelong City fan, Visco cheered the club’s latest champions alongside his son, Dino, 51, and his grandchildren Jessica, 21, and Daniel, 17. “I was here for the ‘68 side [who won the league championship] so I’ve at least seen some success,” he said. “They haven’t seen us lose yet,” he added, pointing to his grandchildren, “and my son hadn’t seen us win for 50 years!”

Cracks of lightning illuminated a sky that turned from blue to grey and back again as the smell of pyrotechnics filled the air and thousands of fans lined the streets.

Erling Haaland, the club’s 22-year-old Norwegian talisman, sent the rain-soaked crowd into raptures as he appeared shirtless and grinning while holding one of the club’s three major trophies. The latest and most prestigious, City’s first ever Champions