Football is about men in boots, not men in suits, a colleague reminded me last week, quoting the advice of a wise sports editor from the days before women’s football became the phenomenon it is now.
The game is about players, not owners and directors. The glory game, as Danny Blanchflower christened it, is about nights like last Wednesday at the Etihad, that roar of support, the passion of fans, the sheer majesty of a player like Kevin De Bruyne, the exhilaration of Erling Haaland, the magician-like impishness of Bernardo Silva and the joy of Jack Grealish.
Not since Barcelona overwhelmed Manchester United at Wembley in 2011 have we seen anything quite like Manchester City’s 4-0 demolition of Real Madrid.