Despite finishing this season trophyless, Pep Guardiola has lead Manchester City to lift multiple trophies in the many seasons he’s managed them.
Their fans have enjoyed their success both at home and across the European stage.
However, success at this elite level of the sport means playing many games across the country and abroad.
To watch and support them wherever they go is often the mantra for a football club’s most loyal fans.
However, for City fans, it’s now a mantra some are struggling to afford or even care about.
City fans were criticised for their poor attendance at Wembley Stadium for their FA Cup Semi-Final last month.
Thousands of empty seats in the upper tier drew ridicule from rival fans but asked deeper questions of City fans.
Questions such as whether the fatigue of success is finally catching up with their fans.
City fans have become accustomed to continuous success every season and it could be argued that the spectacle of winning trophies is now losing its sparkle.
This City fan took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to express his opinion on this question after returning from Wembley:
Since Guardiola took over in 2016, City have been to Wembley 18 times- averaging 2 trips a year to the capital’s largest stadium.
For most fans, travelling to Wembley is often a once in a lifetime opportunity.
For most City fans, travelling to Wembley is a yearly commute.
Some City fans even refer to the famous stadium as the “Etihad South” given their frequent visits.
City have travelled to the capital many times, but have travelled across Europe for the UEFA Championship League even more times.
In the last 10 years, City have played 95 matches in cup competitions in 58 different stadiums across the UK and Europe.
41 of those matches in 31 different stadiums were in Europe for the UEFA Champions League.
The map below shows the many trips City fans have made to watch their club across Europe since Guardiola took over:
The financial burden of following City across the continent is now becoming too much to bear for their loyal supporters.
While less fans will feel this burden than the tens of thousands that travel to Wembley every year, the price of flying abroad and staying over multiple times a season is a heavy financial weight.
In the last six years, City have travelled to the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid five times.
So, the club offered their fans a travel package for £360 which included flights and transfers, but no accommodation.
For City fans in Manchester living on an average of £870 in disposable income per month, these prices are simply too much to watch them abroad and now even at home.
While City’s success has naturally given more matches for fans to travel to, it’s also meant increased popularity with foreign fans and therefore increased prices.
It means City fans are now struggling to watch their club in their own city.
City’s partnership with third-party ticket sellers has drawn criticism and protests, as it prioritises foreign fans that pay more than locals can afford to pay.
While every fan wants to see their club succeed as reward for their loyalty, it’s often the most loyal that pay the price of success.