Manchester City's chief Ferran Soriano has insisted the Premier League remains the club's "bread and butter" despite increasing pressure to at long last win the Champions League.
Pep Guardiola's side have come close to finally getting their hands on club football's biggest prize in recent years, but a number of near-misses and stunning capitulations has prolonged their wait. Last term saw the Premier League champions surrender a handsome lead to eventual winners Real Madrid over the course of 15 minutes across the tail-end of normal time and beginning of extra-time.
Despite this, Soriano has explained how the club does not feel under any added pressure to lift the Champions League; though he remains certain that they will win it one day. The City chief was present for the draw for this season's group stage, during which time he was asked whether the competition was the club's priority.
Soriano claimed: " No, it’s never. Our priority is always the Premier League, we work for it everyday, it is our bread and butter. The Champions League of course is an aspiration, but it’s not an obsession, but we will win it, I am sure."
His comments come six months after Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold appeared to send a subtle shot in the direction of title rivals City. The Reds right-back discussed how Guardiola's side have been unable to properly compete on multiple fronts in recent seasons.
"Not making any digs, but you look at Man City's amazing team and they haven't been able to lift the Champions League. They won a couple of Prems but haven't been able to win the Champions League. We've won both over the last few years and it shows you we can do it in both competitions.
The City CEO also gave his thoughts on the group his side were drawn in, as Guardiola can now plan for games against Spanish outfit Sevilla, Ukrainian titans Shakhtar Donetsk and Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund.
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" I guess you can never be completely happy or unhappy about the draw, but I think we have good teams to play and it will be great to go back to Sevilla, the last time we went there was in 2009," he added. Even Copenhagen we were there in 2009, and of course Dortmund we were there recently in that will be a special game, especially for [Erling] Haaland and [Ilkay] Gundogan."
The tie against Dortmund marks a recent return to the Signal Iduna Park for Haaland, who only left the club in favour of a switch to City earlier this summer. Soriano discussed how the Norwegian striker will be feeling amid news of his sooner-than-expected appearance at his old side's stomping ground.
"I think he will enjoy it. It's a fantastic stadium and the last time that we went there, there were no fans due to Covid, so it will be a great experience for fans, both in Dortmund and in Manchester. I am very excited."
