Manchester City want nothing more than to win the Champions League, captain Ilkay Gundogan admits.
City have previously played down the importance of winning the European Cup, accepting that it is a difficult competition to win and some of the best players and managers have failed to lift the trophy. However, this season there has been a growing acceptance that this City squad is ready to win the Champions League, and that they won't be considered a truly great side until they do win it.
Pep Guardiola said as much after the FA Cup final win over Manchester United, arguing that winning the Champions League will be a greater achievement than securing the treble - even if one will lead to the other next week vs Inter Milan.
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And Gundogan added to his manager's thinking by insisting that his teammates wish for nothing greater than to lift the trophy in Istanbul.
He told UEFA.com: "Let me put it this way, I don't think there is any wish greater than that for our team and the club right now. There is nothing we want more than to win this Champions League."
As well as winning the Champions League for the group of players, and the City organisation in general, Gundogan also spoke about the impact of manager Guardiola, and how he has prepared the group perfectly for one final push this week.
"We have incredible quality within the team. We have amazing players," he said. "We also have an amazing manager who tactically challenges us again and again, keeps bringing us to a new level and also has solutions to our problems.
"If it perhaps doesn't work out so well in one particular game, there are always alternatives that we can fall back on. This mix of things is extremely good, and if we are mentally strong and have the same attitude as we have had in recent weeks, then I don't see many teams that can beat us.
"When one looks at what he did in Spain, with Barcelona, he has won everything one can win. I played against him myself for many years with BVB against his Bayern team. He was there for three years, completely dominated the Bundesliga, consistently, every year. And now also here, at Man City: five championships in seven years in the most difficult league in the world.
"So I don't think you need to say much about his attitude, his mentality, or his way of working, because it's been documented clearly in black and white. His success speaks for itself and he is probably the best manager, at least in my lifetime, anyone has ever seen."
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