Gundogan makes Euro win claim
Manchester City can only be classed as one of Europe's elite teams by lifting the Champions League, according to Ilkay Gundogan.
The Citizens have won three Premier League titles, three League Cups and an FA Cup since Sheikh Mansour's takeover in 2008, but European glory has continued to elude them.
Premier League rivals Liverpool defeated them in the quarter-finals of the Champions League last season with their best finish in the competition being a semi-final appearance in 2015-16 when they lost to Real Madrid.
If you want to be in the international elite, when you want to be there both as a club and as a player, you need to clinch this trophy.
Ilkay Gundogan
City are preparing to travel to face German Bundesliga side Schalke in the first leg of their last-16 tie on Wednesday night with Gundogan stressing that they must lift the trophy to move up another level in terms of status.
The Germany international said: "If you want to be in the international elite, when you want to be there both as a club and as a player, you need to clinch this trophy.
"You can't go past it, at least in my opinion. I think that, if we were to win it someday, the club would enter a new era.
"(It would be lifted) to the same level as Real, 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.
"Our job is to try and give it our all to make it a reality someday. We'll try and will hopefully manage that somehow.
"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. So as you can imagine, there's a very big drive within us to do something in the Champions League. 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."
City, who are 11/4 to win the Champions League this season, are 3/10 to win at Schalke on Wednesday, while the hosts are 10/1 to pick up a first leg leg and the draw is 5/1.
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Manchester City can only be classed as one of Europe's elite teams by lifting the Champions League, according to Ilkay Gundogan.
The Citizens have won three Premier League titles, three League Cups and an FA Cup since Sheikh Mansour's takeover in 2008, but European glory has continued to elude them.
Premier League rivals Liverpool defeated them in the quarter-finals of the Champions League last season with their best finish in the competition being a semi-final appearance in 2015-16 when they lost to Real Madrid.
If you want to be in the international elite, when you want to be there both as a club and as a player, you need to clinch this trophy.
Ilkay Gundogan
City are preparing to travel to face German Bundesliga side Schalke in the first leg of their last-16 tie on Wednesday night with Gundogan stressing that they must lift the trophy to move up another level in terms of status.
The Germany international said: "If you want to be in the international elite, when you want to be there both as a club and as a player, you need to clinch this trophy.
"You can't go past it, at least in my opinion. I think that, if we were to win it someday, the club would enter a new era.
"(It would be lifted) to the same level as Real, 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.
"Our job is to try and give it our all to make it a reality someday. We'll try and will hopefully manage that somehow.
"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. So as you can imagine, there's a very big drive within us to do something in the Champions League. 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."
City, who are 11/4 to win the Champions League this season, are 3/10 to win at Schalke on Wednesday, while the hosts are 10/1 to pick up a first leg leg and the draw is 5/1.
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Source: bet365.com
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