For Manchester City, winning the Champions League has turned into a dream and an obsession, according to Pep Guardiola and Kevin De Bruyne.
As they go ready to play Inter Milan in the championship game on Saturday in Istanbul, City are poised to achieve greatness.
For a match that might not only see Guardiola's team win the European championship for the first time but also complete the treble, they are heavy favorites.
The Premier League champions are trying to put years of disappointment behind them after experiencing numerous near-misses while pursuing the goal they most desire.
As City held a pre-game press conference at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium, De Bruyne responded to the question of whether winning was a "dream" or a "obsession" with his thoughts on the subject.
Possibly both, depending on who you ask," the Belgian playmaker added. Every professional athlete aspires to win the Champions League and achieve success. "If you can win the Champions League, you've reached one of the biggest things you can."
"To compete every year is amazing, and I've had the opportunity to compete against the best, but if we are good enough, we have a chance to close that gap."
In each of Guardiola's seven seasons as manager, City has advanced to the tournament's knockout rounds, but they have not yet achieved their goal.
The closest they have come is finishing as runners-up two seasons ago after losing to Chelsea in the championship game.
Guardiola, who previously led Barcelona to victory in the competition, said: "It's a dream come true, yes."You must continually balance your preoccupation with your drive in order to succeed.It's a word that connotes drive and will to succeed. Of course, it is a dream for us.
Erling Haaland's goal scoring has contributed to City's exceptional season.
The prolific Norwegian has 52 goals to his credit after a stellar debut season at the Etihad Stadium.
Guardiola, whose two previous triumphs came in tandem with Lionel Messi at Barcelona, expects that Haaland will prove to be the final piece of the jigsaw puzzle. Haaland acknowledged this week that he was brought to City to win the Champions League.
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