There is little doubt about the hegemonic role that
Manchester City
, led by Pep Guardiola and company, has been able to take on in recent years in the world of football.
Especially last season, when they managed to win the Champions League
for the first time
and became the second English club in history to win a treble (in addition to the Premier League and FA Cup), behind Manchester United.
However, it is enough to go back to the end of the last century to know that not everything was always rosy for the citizen team: it was wandering through the waters of the Third Division while going through the worst moment in its history.
And it would be in that context where one of the greatest idols of the current world champion team would emerge.
This is the Scotsman
Paul Dickov
,
"the hero who changed history
. "
Just as Sergio Agüero
's agonizing goal
on the last date of the Premier League in 2012 is unforgettable for any City fan, which allowed him to become champion after 44 years, as well as
Rodri
's goal to lift the first Champions League in its history. , the institution itself explains that all of this would have been difficult to achieve if it were not for the goal that Dickov was able to score at the time.
To understand what drove the Scottish striker to rub shoulders with idols like Kun, it is necessary to go back to the 1998-99 season.
The final of the play-off for promotion to the second category was underway and Manchester fell 2-0 against Gillingham.
Despite managing to get a discount at the end, every forecast indicated that the agony of the Citizens in the lower categories would still last.
However, it would be in the
95th minute when Dickov would go down in the
club's history by scoring the unexpected equalizer and stretching the result to penalties, where they achieved victory and respective promotion.
The following year, the club returned to the Premier League, which it never left.
Under that context it would be like in 2008 Manchester would attract the attention of sheikhs from the United Arab Emirates and would be bought by the
Abu Dhabi United Group
.
The future full of drinks that awaited him is known history.
However, from the institution itself they never forgot that Scottish forward to whom they attribute the contribution of being in charge of beginning the path that three decades later would take them to the top of the world.
Even books have been written about "a victory without which everything experienced since then would be unthinkable", as cataloged in Manchester.
WHAT A GOAL Better than Aguero?
Man City fans meet Paul Dickov this week.
For tickets fantasyfc@skysports.com #mcfchttps://t.co/IxPC7I2B65
— PL Predictions (@SkySportsPLP) January 20, 2016
This is how, grateful to "integrate a small part of the club's history",
Dickov currently holds the position of Manchester City ambassador
.
Under that position he currently carries out an activity that he was far from imagining during his time as a player
: displaying the latest trophies achieved by the club around the world.
After starting in the middle of last year with the tour called "Treble Trophy Tour" (Tour of the triplet of trophies, in Spanish) and passing through 13 previous destinations on all continents,
it was the turn to disembark in Buenos Aires for an experience of high caliber.
Clarín
was part of the trophy exhibition, where he was received by Paul Dickov to have the opportunity to talk hand in hand between each of the cups that Julián Álvarez was able to lift months ago.
Argentina was an impossible stop for City to avoid
.
The thing is that both went hand in hand in recent years.
In addition to currently having the presence of Araña among its ranks, there were several players from the world champion country who managed to leave their mark on the English team.
And Dickov himself is aware of the Argentineness that the team transmits.
"
We are fortunate to have had fantastic Argentine players playing for Manchester City
, who are very loved in the club for what they have achieved," confessed the Scot, who since his childhood has had a certain appreciation for the country, to the point of shouting with euphoria Diego Maradona's goal against England in the 1986 World Cup.
With the Obelisk in the background, Buenos Aires receives the Manchester City trophies.
Photo: @mancity
"It is fantastic to be in Argentina on this tour, it was always a country that I wanted to visit.
I have followed Argentina and its football since the 1978 World Cup with Mario Kempes
, then it would also be Maradona's turn," added the 51-year-old former player. who
has a special devotion for Diego
as he is one of his favorite soccer players from his childhood.
Although, he admits that in the balance he leans towards the ability of
Lionel Messi
, without ever forgetting
Kun Agüero
.
It is impossible for City fans to think of Argentina and immediately not relate it to their greatest idol and all-time goalscorer.
And precisely, before taking his flight to the country, Dickov had the opportunity to chat with the forward, about which he commented: "
I was with Sergio when we met on a visit that he made to Manchester in recent days
. I told him that I would come." to Argentina and took the opportunity to recommend some places to visit and other
tips
on what to do.
Despite Kun's retirement, the relationship between the Albiceleste nation and the English club continues to be increasingly closer.
It is also due to the goals of a player such as Julián Álvarez, who became one of the figures of Guardiola's team and one of the fans' favorite footballers.
"
Julián was always a player who had a great impact in every moment he had to play
, even though last season he did not have the same experience as now. His attitude is fantastic, he scored important goals and is part of everything achieved last season. season. Without a doubt he will continue to grow as a player. He is very loved in Manchester," Dickov said.
Paul Dickov is part of Manchester City's tour of Buenos Aires.
However, Julián will be accompanied in just a few months, when it is time for the arrival of a new compatriot to the CitIzens ranks:
Claudio
Diablito
Echeverri
, about whom in Manchester they are already beginning to have illusions.
"
We are very excited about Echeverri
. He follows a path similar to that of Julián. Even though they have different styles of play, both were signed, but they remained on loan at River for a while longer," stated the team ambassador.
"
He is a super young talent, an excellent one
. We believe he can reach a very high point of performance," said Dickov, who also highlighted
Máximo Perrone
as a promise for the club, and consequently highlights the number of players who made up the dynasty. Argentina for the team over the years.
Even while remembering footballers like
Carlos Tevez
,
Nicolás Otamendi
and
Martín Demichelis
- who was visiting at the presentation -, Dickov showed that he had a small weakness for
Pablo Zabaleta
- who was just nine years old - thanks to "the passion he had."
It is a factor that English fans want to find in each of their players and, according to the Scottish striker,
every Argentine has it incorporated, as well as "great technique and skill
."
By leaving behind the curse that the Champions League represented for the club, "silencing the opinions of those who have been demanding to win it for four or five years", City is already considering new objectives: to repeat what was achieved in 2023. "It will be very difficult, although "The club is very strong and they are capable of achieving anything," Dickov acknowledged.
Manchester City presents its trophies in Buenos Aires as part of an extensive tour around the world.
The turns
carried out by Buenos Aires, in order to thank the support that the club received from all the followers they have in Argentina,
came to an end this Saturday in the best possible way
.
Nearly
800 people
, mostly loyal supporters of the citizen team, attended the Golden Center to watch and celebrate together
Manchester's 2-0 victory against Everton
in the Premier League.
With the included luxury of taking a souvenir photo with the trophies on display, chatting with the legend of Paul Dickov.
This is how Haaland's second was celebrated!
pic.twitter.com/4nU0kYR1P7
— Manchester City (@ManCityES) February 10, 2024
The next and last destination will be
Denmark
, in what aims to be an unforgettable tour in the history of the club.
However, who says that Guardiola, Julián and company manage to maintain their hegemony and force Manchester to schedule a new tour of Argentina in the short term.