Manchester City kicks off Treble Trophy tour in India from Kochi

English professional football club Manchester City FC on Friday kicked off their Treble Trophy Tour in India at Kochi.

The four coveted trophies -- the Premier League trophy, the FA Cup, the UEFA Champions League trophy and the UEFA Super Cup -- were brought to Kochi and was accompanied by Manchester City legend Nedum Onuoha.

The trophies will now make their way to Mumbai, which is the home of Manchester City’s sister Mumbai City FC, which is owned by City Football Group (CFG).

Onuoha, who spoke to the media during an interaction, said that Manchester City FC was going through its best time. He lauded coach, Josep 'Pep' Guardiola Sala and said the team has reached its zenith by bagging the four trophies under him.

Meanwhile, the English football giants yesterday put up an image of Kerala's sprawling Vembanad Lake on its social media handles as the backdrop for the Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League trophies and the latest Super Cup won by the club.

On the eve of displaying the trophies for football buffs to take photographs with, the 143-year-old club had posted the picture of the four trophies lined up against the evening sky beyond the horizon even as a passenger boat moves past close-by.

'The sun sets of Vembanad Lake in Kochi #TrebleTrophyTour,' the club had posted on social media platform X, with the image.

'It is really exciting that a prominent football club of the world is coming to Kerala with the coveted trophies they won recently. Kerala can be really proud that Manchester City greatly appreciates the stunning beauty of Kerala and is unveiling it before the whole world,' Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas said in a statement.

Just as it's known for its unparalleled natural beauty, Kerala is also reputed for its love of football, Riyas said adding that the football club's social media promotion of Vembanad Lake is yet another instance of Kerala being marked firmly on the world tourism map.

'This reflects the big reputation our state enjoys in the West and other countries across the globe,' he added.

Three weeks ago, Manchester City had wished Keralites across the world 'Happy Onam' over social media by displaying the greetings in Malayalam. Expectedly, the Instagram post went viral.

That was on August 31, when the image focused on superstar Erling Haaland in the Club's blue jersey biting into a fried pappadam, while the background showed two houseboats lined up close to a green plot of land defined by coconut trees.

Earlier, football powerhouse Chelsea FC made a virtual tour of Alappuzha, praising the beauty of the state’s backwater paradise.

'The beauty of Kerala! The Blues visit the scenic backwater of Alleppey as part of the virtual tour,' ran the caption of an image posted on March 20.

Earlier this year, Kerala's iconic snake boat race had been featured prominently by the Wimbledon Tennis Championship as a poster on its digital platforms during the latest edition of the revered tourney.