Manchester City’s Historic 2023 XI Is Now Almost History
Manchester City's historic Champions League triumph in 2023 created one of the most memorable teams in modern European football.
That side did not simply win the Champions League. It completed a historic treble, giving Manchester City their first European Cup and establishing Pep Guardiola's team among the greatest sides of the era.
More than three years later, however, the team that achieved that historic night in Istanbul has changed dramatically.
The latest major departure is Rodri, who has officially completed his move from Manchester City to Barcelona.
The Spanish midfielder has signed a contract with Barcelona running until June 2030, bringing an end to a hugely successful spell in Manchester.
And Rodri's departure has produced a remarkable statistic.
Of Manchester City's starting XI from the 2023 Champions League final, only Erling Haaland, Rúben Dias and Jack Grealish remain connected with the club.
It is a striking illustration of how quickly football squads can change, even after reaching the highest possible level.
The Night That Changed Manchester City Forever
On June 10, 2023, Manchester City walked onto the pitch at Istanbul's Atatürk Olympic Stadium knowing they were 90 minutes away from history.
Inter Milan stood between Guardiola's team and their first Champions League trophy.
The starting lineup was:
Ederson; Manuel Akanji, Rúben Dias, Nathan Aké; John Stones, Rodri; Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, İlkay Gündoğan, Jack Grealish; Erling Haaland.
UEFA's official records confirm the lineup.
It was a team built around tactical intelligence, technical quality and enormous attacking power.
Haaland had arrived from Borussia Dortmund less than a year earlier and had immediately transformed City's attack.
Rodri had become the central figure in Guardiola's midfield.
Dias provided leadership at the back.
Grealish offered control and creativity from the left.
Gündoğan supplied intelligence and late runs.
De Bruyne created opportunities.
Stones had evolved into one of Guardiola's most tactically important defenders.
Together, they helped City produce one of the greatest seasons in the club's history.
Rodri Delivered the Moment of History
The 2023 Champions League final was not an easy night for Manchester City.
Inter defended with discipline and created dangerous moments of their own.
City needed something special.
That moment arrived in the 68th minute.
Rodri found space inside the penalty area and struck the ball into the net, giving City a 1-0 advantage.
The goal proved decisive.
Inter continued searching for an equaliser, but City held on.
When the final whistle arrived, Manchester City were European champions for the first time.
UEFA records that Rodri scored the only goal and was named Player of the Match.
The victory also completed City's historic treble of the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League.
For Rodri personally, the goal became one of the defining moments of his career.
Three years later, he is no longer at the club where he created that memory.
He is now a Barcelona player.
Rodri's Manchester City Legacy
Rodri's departure is more significant than a normal transfer.
The Spaniard became one of the most important players in City's modern history.
He joined Manchester City from Atlético Madrid in 2019 and developed into the midfielder Guardiola trusted to control the most important matches.
His importance became especially obvious in big games.
Rodri was not simply a defensive midfielder.
He could dictate possession, break opposition attacks, move the ball forward and arrive in dangerous positions.
His Champions League-winning goal in Istanbul provided the perfect example of his ability to influence a match from midfield.
His achievements at City were extraordinary.
He won multiple Premier League titles, the Champions League, domestic trophies and the Club World Cup.
His individual career also reached the highest level when he won the Ballon d'Or in 2024.
Now Barcelona have secured his services on a contract through 2030.
Who Is Still Standing?
The transformation of City's 2023 Champions League final lineup becomes even more interesting when the players are examined individually.
Erling Haaland
Haaland remains City's biggest attacking weapon.
The Norwegian joined Manchester City in 2022 and immediately established himself as one of the world's most prolific strikers.
He scored 36 Premier League goals during his debut season and finished the 2022/23 campaign with an extraordinary 52 goals in all competitions.
He also scored 12 times in City's Champions League campaign that season.
City have since secured Haaland's long-term future with a contract running until 2034.
That means the Norwegian remains a major part of the club's future.
Rúben Dias
Dias is another crucial survivor from the treble-winning team.
The Portuguese centre-back joined City from Benfica in 2020 and quickly established himself as a leader at the heart of the defence.
Manchester City extended his contract in 2025, keeping him at the club until 2029.
His continued presence gives City something extremely valuable during this period of transformation: continuity.
With so many familiar faces gone, Dias can provide experience and leadership to a new generation.
Jack Grealish
Grealish is the third name on the list.
His situation, however, is slightly different.
Although he remains a Manchester City player, his future has been uncertain after spending the 2025/26 season on loan at Everton.
He returned to City during the summer and has already made a comeback appearance under new manager Enzo Maresca.
Grealish therefore remains part of the club's current picture, although his long-term future cannot be considered completely settled.
With his City contract entering its final year, the next few weeks could be important for his career.
Where Did Everyone Else Go?
The transformation becomes even clearer when the rest of the 2023 XI is considered.
İlkay Gündoğan is no longer at City.
Bernardo Silva has moved to Real Madrid.
Kevin De Bruyne has also left Manchester.
John Stones is no longer part of the squad.
Nathan Aké has departed.
Manuel Akanji is also no longer part of the original group.
And now Rodri has joined Barcelona.
That leaves an almost completely different Manchester City team compared with the side that lifted the Champions League trophy in Istanbul.
The changes are not simply about individual transfers.
They represent the end of one footballing era.
A New Manchester City Under Enzo Maresca
Manchester City are now entering a new chapter under manager Enzo Maresca.
Pep Guardiola's extraordinary period at the club has ended, and Maresca has inherited a squad that has already undergone significant changes.
Reuters recently highlighted the challenge facing Maresca, noting the departures of important figures such as Bernardo Silva and John Stones while City continue rebuilding their midfield.
The club have already invested heavily in younger talent.
That suggests Manchester City are not simply trying to replace individual players.
They are attempting to create another generation capable of competing for major trophies.
That process will take time.
Replacing Rodri alone is an enormous tactical challenge.
Replacing Rodri, De Bruyne, Gündoğan, Bernardo Silva, Stones and others represents something much bigger.
It is a complete rebuilding process.
GoodNewsTV01 Player Analysis: Rodri
Rodri leaves City at a fascinating point in his career.
At 30, he has already achieved almost everything a midfielder could dream of.
He has won the Champions League, domestic titles, the Ballon d'Or and the 2026 World Cup with Spain.
His move to Barcelona gives him a new challenge.
Barcelona have been searching for midfield stability and a player capable of controlling games from deep.
Rodri's football intelligence makes him an ideal candidate for that responsibility.
His arrival also gives Barcelona another experienced leader who understands possession-based football at the highest level.
For Manchester City, however, the question is obvious:
Who replaces Rodri?
Finding another player with his combination of defensive intelligence, physical strength, passing quality and big-game experience will be extremely difficult.
GoodNewsTV01 Analysis
What is happening at Manchester City is a reminder that football dynasties do not last forever.
The 2023 Champions League-winning team was built over several years.
Guardiola developed a group capable of dominating English football and finally conquering Europe.
But football is constantly moving.
Players age.
Contracts expire.
New challenges appear.
And eventually, successful teams have to rebuild.
The most fascinating part of City's current situation is that the club are not starting from zero.
They still have Haaland, one of the world's most dangerous goalscorers.
They still have Dias, an experienced defensive leader.
They still have Grealish, whose future remains an interesting storyline.
And around them, City are bringing in new players who will eventually create a completely different identity.
The challenge for Maresca is to make that transition without allowing City's standards to drop.
Rodri's departure could be particularly important.
His replacement does not necessarily have to be another player with exactly the same characteristics. Instead, City may choose to change the way their midfield operates.
That could ultimately make the new Manchester City look very different from Guardiola's team.
And that may be the point.
Conclusion
Manchester City's 2023 Champions League-winning starting XI is now almost completely a memory.
Rodri's official move to Barcelona has removed another major piece of the historic team, with the Spanish midfielder signing until 2030.
Only Erling Haaland, Rúben Dias and Jack Grealish remain connected with Manchester City from the starting XI that defeated Inter Milan in Istanbul.
The statistic is remarkable considering how recently that team conquered Europe.
But it also signals the beginning of a new era.
Manchester City are rebuilding, Maresca is establishing his own identity, and a new generation of players is being asked to carry the club forward.
The memories of 2023 will remain forever.
But Manchester City must now create new ones.
GoodNewsTV01 Verdict
Rodri's Barcelona move officially closes another chapter of Manchester City's treble-winning era. Haaland and Dias remain important pillars, while Grealish's future is still uncertain. The next great Manchester City team will have to be built almost from the ground up.
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