Greatest treble winning teams: Can Man City join them?

Winning a major treble is one of the most difficult feats to accomplish in football, and is one of the rarest sporting achievements, having currently only occurred on nine occasions in the history of the sport.

With Manchester City on the brink of becoming just the tenth side to complete the league, domestic cup, and European treble, we take a look at some of the most memorable sides to have done it.

Celtic 1966/67

Celtic were the first ever side to complete the treble and they went one better, winning all four of the major competitions that they entered. This major treble comprised of the Scottish League title, Scottish Cup, and European Cup.

Celtic certainly didn’t win the treble in emphatic style, winning the Scottish League title by just three points over city rivals Rangers. They were dominant in the Scottish cup, scoring 20 goals and conceding just three on their way to victory.

The European Cup is the crowning glory of the treble and Celtic were certainly tested enroute to the title. They came back from a 1-0 first leg loss to Serbian side FK Vojvodina, before beating Dukla Prague on their way to the final, where they faced European giants Inter Milan, winning the match 2-1 via a Stevie Chalmers goal with just over five minutes left.

Manchester United 1998/99

With one of the greatest teams English football have ever witnessed, Manchester United became the first English side to complete the treble.

United certainly didn’t make anything easy for themselves in this season, winning the league by just one point over Arsenal, and only re-gaining top spot with two matches left. United defeated league challengers Arsenal in the semi-finals of the FA Cup before going on to beat Newcastle 2-0 in the final.

The 1999 European Cup final is one of the most memorable of all-time and is certainly what first comes to mind in relation to this treble win. With 90 minutes played a Bayern Munich side containing the likes of Oliver Kahn and Lothar Matthaus were 1-0 ahead and the last thing anyone expected was a Manchester United win. Teddy Sheringham’s 91st minute equaliser would have been satisfactory for most United fans, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer went one better, netting a winner in the third minute of stoppage time, and in doing so creating one of the greatest moments in the history of the competition. He may soon be the first, rather than the only Norwegian to guide his team to treble success.

Inter Milan 2009/10

Inter are the only Italian side to have completed the treble and are probably the team who were considered least likely to achieve the feat at the start of the season.

Inter began their treble charge with a 1-0 win over Roma in the Coppa Italia final with Diego Milto scoring the all-important goal, a consistent theme throughout Inter’s success. The Argentinian’s 22 league goals, including one on the final day in a 1-0 win over Siena, guided Inter to Serie A success for the fifth season in a row.

Under the guidance of serial winner Jose Mourinho, Inter defeated giants such as Chelsea, and most notably Barcelona, on their way to the Champions League final. Inter would go on to beat Bayern Munich in the final courtesy of two goals from the man of the hour Diego Milito, completing an underdog story which will remain in football’s history books forever.

Manchester City 2022/23*

Manchester City are in pole position to become the second English side to complete the treble, and the first in the 21st Century.

City already have the Premier League title wrapped up, taking the league by the scruff of the neck and looking unbeatable in the second half of the season to ease past title hopefuls Arsenal late on.

City still have two of the three trophies to secure, but very few would bet against them doing so. They face fierce rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup final, a game which they may be slightly apprehensive about having lost to United already this season. However, Guardiola’s side have evolved hugely since that loss and are the heavy 4/9 favourites to emerge victorious.

Manchester City is not a name currently engraved on the famous Champions League, and Pep Guardiola has made it his mission to change that since day one. They have come close, losing 1-0 to Chelsea in the final in 2021, but have never been able to complete the mission. Former treble winners Inter Milan stand in their way, and with the Italian side looking less than convincing in Serie A where they sit 20 points from the top, this is the best opportunity City have had to date. City are just 4/11 to triumph in Istanbul on June 10th.

Should they complete the treble (8/15) they will instantly be recognised as one of, if not the greatest English side ever, and Erling Haaland can join the illustrious group of Norwegian strikers to have guided their side to a treble.

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