Max Verstappen’s Charm Drives Manchester City to UCL Glory as Inter Milan Suffers the Consequences of Ferrari’s Fatal Curse

Is foreshadowing real? If you think it isn’t, Paul the Octopus (may he rest in peace) from the 2010 FIFA World Cup would beg to differ. So in the instance that foreshadowing is a thing, did Max Verstappen and Ferrari play a hand in predicting which soccer team would be the Champions of Europe? 

Every year, there’s one night—or day, depending on which part of the world you’re in—that soccer fans all around the globe anticipate with equal measures of excitement—the Champions League Final night. But if your favorite team is playing, then with the excitement, you would also be freaking out the same amount. And last night, Manchester City and Inter Milan fans were sitting at the edge of their seats. The two teams were facing off for the first time—Inter bidding to win its fourth UCL title and City its first. But City was also playing for the Treble, which includes winning the English Premier League, the FA Cup, and the Champions League in the same season. And with two of them already under its belt, this was City’s chance to create history. But how did Verstappen and Ferrari play into this narrative? 

Good luck charms and fatal curses

2023 was only City’s second UCL Final. And after its heartbreak in 2021—when it lost to Chelsea—this was City’s opportunity to get redemption. And that it did. After a back-and-forth first half, the second half was much more intense. But Manchester City finally scored in the 68th minute—courtesy of a stunner by Rodri—which was the winning goal. City not only won the most coveted trophy in European soccer but also secured the Treble. 

After the match, Motorsport.com posted a tweet with the caption, “Again, as we know” [Translated by Google]. The tweet also featured two images—one of Italian soccer legend and former Inter Milan player Marco Materazzi with Carlos Sainz, Charles Leclerc, and Mattia Binotto, and the other of Max Verstappen with Belgian international and Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne. What Motorsport.com was trying to say through the tweet was that Ferrari somehow inflicted its bad luck and ability to not perform on Inter, and Verstappen transferred some of his good luck charms onto City.

Ferrari hasn’t had a good season in F1 for a while now. Despite having a car that had the potential to compete for the championships in 2022, it made a mess of its season. And Motorsport.com couldn’t help but make the connection between Inter and Ferrari. Not in the sense that Inter made a mess of the final, but it couldn’t win despite having the potential. But honestly, who can compete against Man City, especially when it has Verstappen’s good luck? The Dutch driver, who identifies more as a Belgian, met de Bruyne last season during the Belgian GP, and the two exchanged jerseys (and with it some luck). The tweet hilariously dissed Ferrari while commending Verstappen for his performances over the past few years, and F1 and soccer fans alike appreciated it.

Read More: Have Ferrari Ditched Their Italian Roots in a Last-Bid Attempt to Break Their F1 Curse?

Soccer is one of the most popular sports in the world, and a few F1 drivers are fans as well. One of the drivers took time off from his F1 duties to fly to Istanbul to attend the finals.

George Russell attends the UCL final

It’s not often you see F1 drivers step aside from their duties for a while. But when they do get the off chance, soccer is one sport they indulge in because it’s just as popular among F1 drivers too. Mercedes driver George Russell didn’t miss the opportunity to fly to Turkey with his father and brother to watch the UCL Final live. 

Before the match, he posted a picture on Instagram with the caption, “let the best team win!!” But being a Briton, he would’ve wanted to see the team from his country win. And he did. After the match, he posted a story congratulating City and writing, “Pep [Joseph Guardiola, City’s manager], you’re the man!” He, indeed, is the man. After joining the club as manager in 2016, he won his 11th trophy with the team last night. Needless to say, the Champions League trophy has been a long time coming for Manchester City.

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What do you think? Did Ferrari transfer its curse onto Inter Milan? If it’s true, does Inter have the right to be mad at Ferrari, just like every Ferrari fan has been for the past several seasons?