Manchester City midfielder, Ilkay Gundogan has said Manchester City must win the Champions League to be considered one of Europe’s elite clubs.
Manchester City have won the Premier League three times since Abu Dhabi United Group bought the club in 2008, but have yet to go past the semi-final stage of the Champions league.
“If you want to be in the international elite … you need to clinch this trophy,” Gundogan told UEFA.com ahead of Wednesday’s last 16 ties at Schalke.
“I think that, if we were to win it someday, the club would enter a new era, the same level as Real (Madrid), Barca, Bayern or Juventus, clubs that are maybe a step above us.
“Maybe not in the way they play football, but as a club at least.”
“We’ve experienced a lot in the Champions League in recent years, not all of it positive, of course. We should’ve won it at least once,” Gundogan added.
“The biggest low was probably being knocked out by Liverpool last season. For that reason, the motivation to go far in this competition is huge and I think we have the quality required.”