Since Manchester City was found guilty of 114 out of the 115 charges, the atmosphere around the club has been quite sombre. However, the fans, players and staff have tried in various ways to change the mood.
A win against Liverpool, despite the incessant chants of ‘cheat’ by the Liverpool fans, helped lift the supporters and the club. The fans, for their part, have stuck behind the club and brought some much-needed energy to their matches post the international break.
In the away game at Anfield, the fans brought back the ‘inflatable bananas’ in large numbers to bring some light-hearted humour to the club’s situation. The bananas were also on show during Wednesday’s Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain at the Etihad stadium.
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The ‘inflatable bananas’ tradition comes from the 1987/88 season, when the Cityzens were demoted to the second division. Then, the fans decided to bring in inflated bananas as a form of banter and to brighten the mood in the stadium. Also, a popular City player Imre Varadi was given the nickname ‘Banana’, which made the bananas became more prevalent in the 80s and 90s as a form of self-depricating humour.
However, by the early 2000s, the bananas were phased out until it resurfaced this week.
“It’s very nice. I didn’t know the history behind the banana, but I hope tomorrow I can see many bananas in the stadium. I think it creates a nice environment for the fans and for everyone that is in the stadium,” said Enzo Maresca, the Manchester City manager, in the press conference before the Premier League match against Ipswich Town.
Published on Oct 17, 2026