Before touching down in the UAE, Pablo Zabaleta said Manchester City will be on a mission to win the Champions League next season as they look to build on their Premier League triumph.
Having proved to be the best in England again, the Etihad outfit – owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, deputy prime minister of the UAE and minister of presidential affairs – are now eager to move up another level and become kings of Europe.
Defeat to Barcelona in the last 16 of this season’s competition after a hard-fought contest left City bitterly disappointed, and right-back Zabaleta said: “I think all these players, we are thinking about it.
“Looking forward, it’s a competition we are very excited about trying to win. This club is very ambitious and the owner has been spending big over many years to build a strong team.
“We have won two Premier Leagues in three seasons and not many teams can say this.
“This is a massive achievement for this club, but we need to come back even stronger next season because this squad and club are very hungry for more trophies and the only way to create this strong mentality, to become a top team in the world, is just winning trophies.
“The only way to keep growing as a club is by winning a trophy every single season. Now we feel that we are one of the best teams in England. We want to bring more success to this club.
“But step by step. The Champions League is a competition where you play against the best teams in Europe. On those days, you have to perform well in the big games. The Premier League is different, it’s week in, week out.
“You have 38 games and if you drop points, you have the chance to win the next game. The Champions League is a competition where if you make one mistake, you are out. We know how difficult it is to reach the final of the Champions League and win it.”
Zabaleta and his team-mates flew into Abu Dhabi this morning after confirming the title with a 2-0 victory over West Ham on Sunday and enjoying an open-top parade in front of thousands of fans in Manchester.
With a friendly against Al Ain on Thursday, boss Manuel Pellegrini is expected to showcase the squad strength that was crucial to pipping Liverpool to top spot.
The absence of players such as Sergio Aguero, David Silva, Stevan Jovetic, Matija Nastasic and Micah Richards to injuries over the course of the season would have hampered many sides, and Zabaleta added: “Sometimes good players can win games, but big squads can win titles. That was the key for this team.
“It’s normal for a team like us where we play in four competitions in one season and you have many games to play, you need two big players in every position.
“We had some problems struggling with injuries, but you see big players coming in and doing the same job and this is what you need to win trophies.”
