Andriy Jegratz described the final moments of the match, in which Arsenal drew 1-1 with Brighton and the result confirmed Manchester City as champions, as “painful”. The team gathered at City’s Academy Stadium to watch the game, champagne ready to pop. It was a tense wait.
The final whistle sounded with chants of “champions, champions, ole, ole, ole” and the focus was on City’s victory. In theory, the title has been within their grasp for weeks since November, as they have been leaders of the Women’s Super League, but they have stumbled on the goal line before.
Since they were last champions 10 years ago, they have finished runners-up six times, seven of them dating back to 2015. Seglerz quickly realized that the psychological hurdle of coming in second place was the biggest barrier to success. Changing that mindset is perhaps his greatest conquest.
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Man City celebrate Arsenal’s draw with Brighton to win their first WSL title in 10 years.
“One thing I felt very early on when I joined this group, of course it’s a question of quality, but we had to start talking like we can win,” he told Sky Sports on a night of celebrations, looking a little tired.
“We did that in October. We also said the players have to start talking about being good enough to win. It’s my job to create that winning mentality.”
The build up to this point has taken many seasons, many transfer windows, and many evolutions of the team. I also experienced many setbacks. City’s 3-2 defeat at Brighton two weeks ago threatened to derail their campaign, but at the weekend they fought until the last minute to beat Liverpool 1-0.
Those who have been following the season closely will also remember the disastrous defeat to Chelsea in the opening game. Although few believed in their qualifications at the time, there was a feeling of optimism and opportunity within the camp.
Despite many great goals and performances, it was the heartbreaking moments of relentless effort that impressed the Swede the most. Finally, City has proven that style and content can match. “We had some late goals this year to win, and I think that shows the mentality of this group. We’ve always found a way.
“There are different ways to win, corners, transitions and other ways, but we always have faith. That’s the important thing. There are a lot of great footballers in the team, they have great quality. But they also show that it is not individuals who win titles.”
“Together we’ve built a foundational culture of how we train, how we play and how we interact with each other. If you get the culture right, it’s possible. We definitely realize that working towards building a program that can win titles means a lot to a lot of people, for the players, the staff and the club.”
Man City are certainly attractive champions. They overcame the pressure and made the most of their advantage over their rivals. The absence of European football allows for complete and total dedication to domestic competitions, with the chance of winning the league and FA Cup double still remaining.
They won’t have the same luxury if they qualify for the Champions League again next season, but Jegratz is confident his team can make ends meet. His next, and perhaps even more difficult, challenge is how to turn this first trophy into a continued cycle of success with a team that could potentially dominate for years to come.
“It’s easy to say enjoy yourself, but at the same time we’ve been in the lead since November and have handled the situation very well,” he added.
“Of course there was pressure, but we have coped well with it as a group. I don’t know if ‘enjoying’ is the right word. Standing here today as champions shows that we have done well. This club has always deserved to play in the Champions League. We are enjoying the moment, but there is nothing wrong with inspiring the team more.”
“I’ll say I’m back.”
