Manchester City have paid tribute to their former captain Ilkay Gundogan by dedicating a training pitch to the treble-winning midfielder. Gundogan, who celebrated his 33rd birthday on Tuesday, departed the club during the summer transfer window to join Barcelona, concluding a successful seven-year stint with the Etihad club. Gundogan scored City’s title-winning goal against Aston Villa, a match that ended 3-2 on the final day of the 2022 Premier League campaign. He has been immortalized in a mosaic displayed alongside the newly dedicated training pitch at the City Football Academy.
Ilkay Gundogan lifting Manchester City’s 2022/23 EPL title Mail Sports reported that Khaldoon Al Mubarak, Chairman of Manchester City, led the tribute during the unveiling ceremony. He said, “On behalf of everyone associated with Manchester City, it is really my privilege and honour to unveil this mosaic that is a tribute to every accomplishment you’ve made over the years. “You have been an important leader, an important pillar of the history of this club that will never be forgotten,” Mubarak added. He noted that Gundogan’s contributions, both on and off the field, have left quite an impression on the club. “But beyond these great accomplishments as a football player, your accomplishments as a leader, both in the club and in the community, will never be forgotten.” Manchester City are in the habit of celebrating their legends in remarkable ways. Similar tributes have also been given to some of the club’s best players in times past. Some of them include Vincent Kompany, Sergio Aguero, and David Silva, who have been honoured with statues at the Etihad Stadium.
Ronaldo lifted up by a pitch invader. Source: Getty The talking point of the match came when a pitch invader breached security by charging towards Ronaldo who he bowed to. The Al-Nassr star smiled and embraced the man who carried Portugal’s flag. The pitch invader then crouched down on his haunches while wrapping his arms around Ronaldo’s waist and lifting him up. Despite the security breach, Ronaldo seemed to smile after his feet were back on the turf and even did his iconic “siu” goal celebration with the fan. A pitch invader with Ronaldo. 😍😂pic.twitter.com/PBwkxcV3tP — The CR7 Timeline. (@TimelineCR7) June 17, 2023 The pitch invader managed to evade security staff by sprinting away to a different side of the pitch with a beaming smile on his face. The dramatic incident is coming weeks after Ronaldo was nearly taken out by an overzealous pitch invader while warming up before playing for Al-Nassr against Al-Tawoun during the latter stages of the Saudi Pro League season. The former Manchester United ace was going through the motions alongside his teammates when he was approached by the fan, who took a tumble as he attempted to get close to his idol near the touchline and narrowly avoided swiping Ronaldo’s legs from underneath him. 
Pitch invader evades security during Portugal’s match against Bosnia. Source: Getty With the win this weekend, Portugal extended their lead at the top of Group J in qualifying for Euro 2024. They have won all three of their matches and currently sit two points ahead of second-placed Slovakia, while Bosnia find themselves in fourth after dropping below Luxembourg as a result of their latest defeat. ![Topless lady dumped; labelled a 'disgrace' by her boyfriend for storming the pitch during the Aussie rugby league match [Video]](https://nigezie.tv/storage/2022/04/Topless-lady-dumped-labelled-a-disgrace-by-her-boyfriend-for.jpg)
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