Melbourne City defender Osama Malik says his side’s historic Westfield FFA Cup triumph over Sydney FC is just the beginning of a new dynasty.
Tim Cahill’s textbook second-half header in front of a record 18,751 fans at AAMI Park secured the club’s maiden men’s trophy in its seventh season.
“It’s pretty special,” Malik told Fox Sports.
City crowned Westfield FFA Cup 2016 winners
“We spoke before the game about starting to create a bit of a legacy here and I think we started that tonight. It’s a sweet feeling.”
While the City Football Group investment has attracted an influx of new faces in recent times, Malik dedicated Wednesday night’s victory to the club’s long-standing stalwarts.
“We’ve had a lot of new players come in but a lot of the staff, the physio, the backroom staff have been here a long time and have seen the hard times,” he said.
“To now do this for them and do this for the fans as well it’s magic.”
Malik was at the centre of a late talking point when he tangled with Sydney FC forward Alex Brosque, but the versatile 26-year-old said the Sky Blues skipper played a part in the contact.
“Brosquey is a pretty clever player. He sort of hooked me from behind,” Malik said.
“I try to be honest (and) I don’t think it was a penalty.”
