Football
ESPN staff 9y

Man City's David Silva: No Champions League trophy would be a failure

David Silva would consider his time at Manchester City a failure unless he wins the Champions League at the Etihad Stadium.

Silva, 29, joined City from Valencia in 2010 and has since won two Premier League titles and the FA Cup.

The playmaker has also won the World Cup and two European Championships with Spain, but he insists he must lift the ultimate prize in European club football to see his time in Manchester as a success.

"I would see it as a failure [if I don't win the Champions League at City]. It is the one thing I want and one day I hope to win it," Silva told the Daily Telegraph.

"It's difficult playing against big teams like Barcelona, Bayern [Munich]. But why? I cannot tell you. But with good, new players, for sure we will have an opportunity to be there fighting and maybe able to do it.

"Juventus reached the final last season, but they were really lucky with the draw. That is the way that the competition is, though.

"I was young when I went to City and I still want to play there. I want to be important in the team and win titles in all competitions. It is always in my mind to become better and I can improve this year by scoring more goals.

"I am an attacking midfielder and I have scored goals, but I want to score more and win more."

City were labelled as Manchester United's "noisy neighbours" by former Old Trafford boss Sir Alex Ferguson back in 2009, but Silva believes their city rivals are showing his club more respect as a result of their recent on-field success.

"We have been up there now for a few seasons, so United now have a lot more respect for us" he said. "When I came to City, it was different. Maybe that was not the case [that United showed respect].

"United will be [challengers] for sure. They are attracting much better players and will be there challenging for sure. They, of course, have much more history, much more prestige, tradition.

"But now we have won trophies, we are making history, winning cups. We are making history and it is good to be part of that history.

"As a club, City now have much more prestige and we are getting better and better. We are just missing that step of winning the Champions League, but doing that will help us grow even more."

Silva's impressive form for City has seen him linked with a return to Spain with either Barcelona or Real Madrid, but Silva suggests he could end his career with another La Liga side.

"Football is my passion and I live for it," he added. "In England, I do my job and I love my job. I would not complain about it. The only thing is the weather. It is dark, it's cold, it's raining, but it is football and I enjoy what I do.

"But it is my ultimate ambition to play for Las Palmas. People say I should go to Real Madrid or Barcelona, but my team is Las Palmas. It is my home and is something I've had from a young boy and would like to play there and end my career there.

"They were the team I supported as a boy and it is very special for everybody on the island that they are back in La Liga [after a 13-year absence]. The big thing now is for everybody to enjoy it. I still have four years at City and then we will see."

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