Pep Guardiola admits he does not know if Manchester City are any closer to winning the Champions League - despite having football’s costliest squad.
City’s £215million summer transfer splurge means their squad is the most expensive at an eyewatering £775million.
Yet Guardiola says he is unsure if he can turn this massive outlay into Champions League glory because his team is still growing in Europe.
“I’m so happy with what the club has done,” said the City boss. “I was so happy last season with what the club did with signing John Stones.
“Last season we did a lot of good things, but we were not able to compete for the titles and I don’t know right now if we are able to compete for the titles.
“I don’t know because we are in the process of growing up.
“I’m so happy with the players we have. Everyone will try to do better than last season, but seriously, I don’t know. We will see what happens.”
Guardiola says he is uncertain because City lack Champions League experience compared to the likes of his former clubs Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
“I have a lot of respect for Barcelona and Bayern Munich, but the quality at Manchester City is the same,” he said.
“The only difference at Barcelona and Bayern Munich is that the players played the Champions League many more times before than the players at Manchester City right now. So that is the only difference.”
Guardiola turned to John Stones, who was sitting beside him at th press conference, to ask him how many Champions League games he has played to underline his point.
“John, you’ve played in the Champions League how many times?” said the Spaniard. “Ten? The players at Barcelona and Bayern Munich have played more than 100, or 80.
“Busquets, Xavi, Messi, Muller, or Philipp Lahm, Xabi Alonso, they played 70 or 80 times, that is the difference.
“I’m not going to say that John does not have the level of Gerard Pique, for example, or Jerome Boateng or the other guys. He has the quality. He’s a top player. If not he wouldn’t be here. But the only thing is the other players lived that situation many times in the past.
“That’s why I can’t be sure if we will be able to make that step. Of course we are going to fight like we did last season and we will see if we are able.”
Guardiola knows he is under pressure to deliver success after being knocked out at the last 16 stage last season - the first time he had ever failed to make the semis - but says he can cope.
“If we don’t win or make a good performance, it will be fail,” he said. “I know that. I learnt it from the beginning. I have to accept it. I can handle that.”
Feyenoord coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst played the role of the polite host by insisting City can win the Champions League.
“They are one of the teams who can win the Champions League,” said the former Arsenal star.
“It’s hard, the Champions League, it’s a hard competition. I won the competition in 2006 and the difference between the big teams is not big, it’s very small.
“Sometimes you need a bit of luck to proceed.”
There’s a storm forecast over De Kuip for tonight’s game - and there will be another one brewing come the end of the season if Guardiola fails again.