Making Arsenal fans proud is more important than winning the Champions League, according to chief executive Ivan Gazidis.
Arsenal have failed to progress from the last 16 of the Champions League in each of their last five seasons.
The Gunners did reach the final in 2006 but were beaten by Barcelona in Paris, but they have since struggled to replicate that feat.
"When we talk about the destination, it's not winning a Champions League, it's making fans proud," Gazidis said.
"It's about making the people at the football club proud of what we do and how we do it.
"We get a lot of criticism, but we have people at the club who are very firmly fixed on where we want to get to and won't get knocked off course by the whims that happen day to day.
"We are very much on that journey, and we may never reach the destination."
Arsenal are on course to qualify for the Champions League for an 18th season in a row under manager Arsene Wenger, with the club currently third in the Premier League table, level on points with Manchester City but with a game in hand.