VINCENT KOMPANY says this is Manchester Citys time to conquer Europe.
Pep Guardiolas men have only made it past the last 16 of the Champions League once in six attempts.
But they are among the favourites to win it this year ahead of their first knockout-round clash at Basel on Tuesday evening.
Defender Kompany has been on quite a journey since he made his European debut for City in a Uefa Cup tie against Cyprus Omonia Nicosia in September 2008.
There have been a lot of disappointments and lessons learned since then.
But the Belgium international believes they will soon have their place among the European big guns.
Kompany, 31, said: Weve been caught out on occasions when we shouldnt have but things have changed.
If there is a year, a moment when the club is ready to feel at home, then its now.
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Im not going to say its a matter of time because some clubs never win it.
But if every year we can go with this kind of confidence, then if not this year or next, eventually, well get there. Im sure of it.
Sergio Aguero is our player of the week with four goals for Manchester City against LeicesterSeveral clubs have tried to break the stranglehold Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich have held on the Champions League.
And Kompany reckons City have a genuine chance of altering the balance of power.
The centre-back added: Its one thing for us to make that statement but another for us to go out and do it.
In previous years weve felt how difficult it is. We are trying to break into a well- established order Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid.
Any team who has tried it has failed.
First its Basel, then get to the stage where we can measure ourselves against these teams and feel like we can beat them.
Goals of the Weekend: Watch the finest strikes from Saturday, Sunday and Monday's Premier League gamesGuardiola lifted the European Cup twice as Barca boss and reached the semi-finals seven times in a row until last year in his first season at the Etihad.
And he admits he does not know whether his City team are ready to go all the way to Mays final in Kiev, despite their blistering domestic form.
He said: I dont know, really I dont. I dont know if we are ready. I have a lot of confidence in the guys and our target is to do better than last season.
So the quarter-finals, that would be better and after that well see.
City are still in the hunt for an unprecedented Quadruple with just over three months of the season left.
Kompany denies there has been talk of it in the Etihad dressing room.
He said: Quadruple talk, none. But winning the next game and the next one, always there is talk of that.
The key thing Ive noticed and I cant say if it will get us all the trophies is the ability to switch back on for every game.
Ive not experienced it in any team Ive been in before.
The veteran defender won the Premier League under former bosses Roberto Mancini and Manuel Pellegrini.
Kompany added: Id like to believe we are going to win the league and be successful.
But my personal feeling is to see who is going to be more motivated to win even more next year.
From game to game Ive never experienced the focus and intensity and motivation throughout the team.
But in terms of achievements, this team has done nothing yet.
Gabriel Jesus dances and sings as he hits the Manchester City gym