It’s a dream to be in the CL final: Berrada

Manchester City is on the brink of unparalleled success. After clinching its third Premier League title in four seasons, City will look to lift its first Champions League crown when it takes on Chelsea in Saturday’s final.

Omar Berrada, the Chief Football Operations Officer of the City Football Group, calls it a dream.

“It’s a dream to be in the Champions League final. It’s been a journey that started with the FA Cup win in 2011 and we have been able to clinch many domestic trophies since. The Champions League brings in the best clubs from the world and gives you that additional element of prestige if you win it,’’ Berrada told select media on Wednesday.

“We have worked so hard to get here that I believe we will continue to be in the knockout stages in the years to come because the groundwork has been done to put us in that position. Winning the Champions League will give us prestige, but it’s the long-term effort that has been put in that will ensure we stay successful,” he added.

Berrada stressed on City’s long-term vision, which has seen it evolve into a heavyweight and win five of the last 10 Premier League titles.

“It’s a result of a vision that the ownership had 12 years ago — to develop a strong academy, to develop a specific way of playing football and to bring the right manager for that type of football. We also needed to bring in the right players for that.

“It has always been about finding the right squad balance between young players, players who are at their peak and players who can bring more experience. It’s not been about investing in superstars, we like to find the right players and with time they become superstars because of the team’s success. It’s about ensuring we find players who can adapt to our style of play, believe in our culture and buy into it. We love making investments in players at different age levels, see them blossom and reach their highest potential,“ said Berrada.

About the Messi move

He remained non-committal about the possibility of Lionel Messi, whose contract with Barcelona runs out soon, moving to City.

“If you look at our performance this year, it’s not like we need to make significant investments. We might look at signing a striker since (Sergio) Aguero leaves, but right now we are very focused on our squad. When the season ends on Saturday evening, we will look at what we want to do in the transfer window.”