The ultimate treble-winning combined XI - Lionel Messi, Johan Cruyff, Robert Lewandowski

Pep Guardiola's men became only the 10th team - and the eighth different club - to achieve the historic feat of winning their country's top-flight title and main cup competition as well as the European Cup/Champions League in the same season.

A 1-0 triumph over Inter Milan - themselves treble winners in 2010 - sealed the deal for the Citizens, having already bested Arsenal in the Premier League title race and Manchester United - another of the former treble winners - in the FA Cup final.

In doing so, City became only the second English club to manage the clean sweep of the three biggest trophies available to them, while Guardiola became the first manager to win the treble twice, having also done so with Barcelona in 2008-09.

However, Man City's legends of 2022-23 come up against some world-class competition compared to their treble-winning predecessors - a list of luminaries which include some of the greatest players in history.

Here, Sports Mole has taken on the enjoyable - if near-impossible - task of selecting the greatest combined XI from the 10 previous teams to have lifted the European treble.

For the avoidance of doubt, those teams are:

Celtic 1966-67

Ajax 1971-72

PSV Eindhoven 1987-88

Manchester United 1998-99

Barcelona 2008-09

Inter Milan 2009-10

Bayern Munich 2012-13

Barcelona 2014-15

Bayern Munich 2019-20

Manchester City 2022-23

Goalkeeper: Manuel Neuer

A hugely difficult call straight off the bat, with two of the greatest goalkeepers of all time - Peter Schmeichel and Manuel Neuer - headlining the candidates for the gloves in this XI.

In the end, we have gone with Neuer by virtue of him featuring heavily in two separate treble-winning teams - lifting the lot with Bayern in both 2012-13 and 2019-20.

The Germany legend featured in 49 games during the first of those campaigns, and then 51 times seven years later as this time he hoisted the silverware aloft as captain.

Neuer's contributions in both seasons were recognised on an individual level too, with the shot-stopper being named the IFFHS World Goalkeeper of the Year for both campaigns, as well as being named in the UEFA Team of the Year for both.

Indeed, he was awarded man of the match for the 2013 final and the Champions League Goalkeeper of the Season for 2020, a year he also claimed The Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper award.

Schmeichel's enormous contributions to Man United's 1998-99 campaign cannot be overlooked, but the Great Dane has to play second fiddle to Neuer between the sticks in this ultimate team.

Honourable mentions: Peter Schmeichel, Victor Valdes, Julio Cesar, Ederson

Right-back: Dani Alves

Judging by the long list of honourable mentions, the secret to a treble-winning campaign is to have a great right-back, with some of the best-ever in their position missing out on a place in this XI.

Dani Alves deserves to be in that conversation of best-ever right-backs too, though, and like Neuer the deciding factor for him to get the nod ahead of others was that he is a two-time treble-winner as well.

The Brazilian was Barcelona's first-choice right-back in 2008-09 and 2014-15, making an incredible 100 appearances across the two campaigns combined.

Alves was a constant source of attacking threat as well as performing his defensive duties too, earning him places in the UEFA Team of the Year and FIFA World XI in both treble-winning seasons, although he did miss the 2009 Champions League final due to suspension.

Alves was, however, named the outright La Liga Defender of the Season in 2008-09 - his first year at Barcelona - and was named in the La Liga Team of the Year in 2014-15 too.

Honourable mentions: Wim Suurbier, Gary Neville, Maicon, Javier Zanetti, Philipp Lahm, Benjamin Pavard, Kyle Walker

Centre-backs: Gerard Pique, Ronald Koeman

Two more players with deep Barcelona connections form our centre-back partnership, with Gerard Pique joining the Catalan club in the same summer as Alves and helping them to a treble in his first season back.

Indeed, Pique arrived having just been part of the Man United squad that won the 2008 Champions League, making it back-to-back European titles for him personally when Barca beat his former club in the final one year later.

Pique played 45 times across all competitions in that 2008-09 campaign, with his performances earning him the La Liga Breakthrough Player of the Year award, but his contribution was even greater six years later, despite playing one match fewer.

En route to the 2014-15 treble, the former Spain international was named in the Team of the Season for La Liga and the Champions League, as well as being named in the UEFA Team of the Year for 2015.

Pique also enjoyed his joint-best scoring season that year with seven goals, although that pales in comparison to his centre-back partner in this XI, with the notoriously goal-hungry defender Ronald Koeman racking up a staggering 26 goals from 46 games in all competitions for PSV Eindhoven in 1987-88.

Koeman is that PSV team's only representative in this XI, and he was undoubtedly their star man with his career-best figures before going on to enjoy Euro '88 glory with Netherlands too - making him one of only five European players to win a club treble and an international trophy in the same year.

Crowned Dutch Footballer of the Year ahead of the likes of Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard that year, Koeman went on to enjoy huge success with Barcelona too, but 1987-88 remained arguably the greatest season of his career and earned him a place in this team ahead of legendary centre-backs like Billy McNeill, Jaap Stam and Carles Puyol.

There was even an option for yet another double treble-winner to join Pique in defence, with Jerome Boateng having achieved the clean sweep twice at Bayern, but he becomes the first two-time winner to miss out from this XI.

Honourable mentions: Billy McNeill, Jaap Stam, Carles Puyol, Lucio, Jerome Boateng, Javier Mascherano, Ruben Dias

Left-back: Ruud Krol

To Koeman's left in this XI is another legendary Dutch defender - Ruud Krol.

A true 'Total Footballer', Krol was adept at playing anywhere in defence or midfield but forged his main reputation at left-back, where he helped the wonderful Ajax team of the early 1970s win three successive European Cups.

Having missed the 1971 final due to a broken leg, Krol was very much a key figure of the triumph over Inter Milan that sealed treble glory one year later.

Krol featured 47 times across all competitions, scoring three goals as Ajax only lost one match in all competitions throughout the entire campaign, earning his place in this team ahead of some of the best left-backs of their respective generations.

Honourable mentions: Tommy Gemmell, Denis Irwin, Eric Abidal, David Alaba, Jordi Alba, Alphonso Davies

Holding midfielders: Sergio Busquets, Xavi

Two Barcelona stalwarts anchor our midfield in what was a highly competitive battle for the deep-lying roles, with some all-time greats missing out on selection.

Xavi and Sergio Busquets are both very much in the conversation for the greatest to ever play in their respective positions, though, and both have the added benefit of being two-time treble winners as well.

For Busquets, the 2008-09 treble-winning season was his breakthrough campaign at Barcelona, competing with Yaya Toure for a midfield spot but still making 41 appearances across all competitions - including a start in the Champions League final victory over Manchester United - and winning La Liga's Breakthrough Player award.

There was no question about Busquets's role as the main defensive midfielder six years later when Barcelona scooped the three major trophies once again, making 47 appearances en route to joining the exclusive group of double treble winners.

Xavi is also in that elite club, and played a major role of both triumphs - not least 2008-09 when he scored in the Copa del Rey final and assisted in the Champions League final.

The Spaniard made 54 appearances in all competitions that year, scoring 10 goals and assisting 29 more, including an unrivalled 20 in La Liga - four of which came in one memorable 6-2 Clasico win over Real Madrid - and a competition-high seven in the Champions League.

Those figures saw Xavi named the UEFA Club Midfielder of the Year, IFFHS World's Best Playmaker and La Liga Midfielder of the Year, as well as being named in the FIFA and UEFA Teams of the Year and finishing third in the Ballon d'Or voting.

Six years later, Xavi signed off his legendary Barcelona career in perfect fashion with another treble - this time as club captain - making 44 appearances across the season.

Honourable mentions: Roy Keane, Yaya Toure, Esteban Cambiasso, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Thiago Alcantara, Joshua Kimmich, Toni Kroos, Rodri

Right winger: Lionel Messi

Despite some legendary competition for this position, the presence of Lionel Messi - the greatest player of all time - means it was the easiest spot to fill in the entire team.

Messi's career achievements are far too long and wide-ranging to list, and even condensing them down to 'just' his two treble-winning seasons with Barcelona leaves us with a CV which any other player would dream of having.

The iconic number 10 enjoyed his first un-injury-interrupted season in 2008-09 and responded with 38 goals in 51 games, including an unrivalled nine in the Champions League - the last of which was a soaring header in the final against Manchester United.

Messi won the first of his seven Ballons d'Or that year, in addition to being named FIFA World Player of the Year, UEFA Men's Player of the Year and La Liga's Best Player.

It almost goes without saying that the Argentine scooped all of those individual prizes again during the second treble-winning season six years later, while his personal scoring record dwarfed his 2008-09 figures.

Messi netted 58 times in just 57 games in 2014-15, including an incredible 43 in La Liga and 10 in the Champions League - both competition highs.