New Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has high hopes for the club and pointed to his experience of doing better than local rivals Manchester United as he pledged on Wednesday to win trophies.
At his first news conference since taking over from Italian Roberto Mancini, Chilean Pellegrini said he aimed to improve City’s poor Champions League record, but said that reclaiming the Premier League title they won in 2012 and the FA Cup they lifted in 2011 was as important.
Expectations are high at trophy-hungry City, where runners-up places in the Premier League and FA Cup were deemed to be unacceptable last season and chief executive Ferran Soriano has said the target is five trophies in the next five years.
We will try to work and we will do our best here and then we will see how many trophies we, we can, we can win.
Pellegrini said he did not value one competition higher than the other, but he was clear that City would improve their performances in Europe next season.
The new manager has strengthened his squad with Brazil midfielder Fernandinho and Spain winger Jesus Navas, but he also wants a replacement for Argentina striker Carlos Tevez, who wanted to leave the club so has joined Juventus.
Pellegrini said he had talked to City’s director of football Txiki Begiristain about the new signings.
The fast, 28-year-old Fernandinho joined City from Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk in June for what British media have widely reported to be about 30 million pounds ($44.49 million) and he is keen to prove he is worth every penny.
Fernandinho, who has five international caps, was not in Luiz Felipe Scolari’s Brazil squad in June for the Confederations Cup, which the hosts won with a 3-0 victory over Spain in the final.
He is probably best known in England for scoring in Shakhtar’s 2-1 win at home to Chelsea in the Champions League group stage last season.
Fernandinho started his career with Atletico Paranaense in his homeland before becoming one of a host of talented Brazilians to head for Shakhtar, with whom he spent the past eight seasons and won the 2009 UEFA Cup.
He told Wednesday’s news conference: “In Ukraine and Brazil, Manchester City nowadays is considered one of the best teams in the world and after I signed for Manchester City the people back home in Brazil congratulated me for signing for one of the top teams in the world.”
Pellegrini said of Tevez: “I spoke with Carlos few weeks ago: I feel that Carlos did not want to stay here any more. He was very clear to tell me. I think it was the best choice for Carlos and for the club, so that is why Carlos is not here.
The 59-year-old former Real Madrid and Malaga boss led Villarreal to four 0-0 draws against United in the group stages of the Champions League in 2005/06 and 2008/09, with his side going on to the semi-finals and last eight respectively.
He told Wednesday’s news conference: “Well I know that the most important thing for all the fans of Manchester City is to beat Manchester United and if I am here I am it’s because I am sure we will do it. I am sure that this year, same as other years, Manchester City will be top of Manchester United; we will try at least. I know David Moyes (new United manager). I have played against Manchester United twice in the Champions League with Villarreal. In both years — I don’t remember, 2006 and 2009 — we classified to the last 16 and Manchester (United) didn’t do it, so I have experience playing against Manchester United.”
Pellegrini, a qualified civil engineer, has arrived in England at a time of huge change at the leading clubs, with David Moyes taking over from the retired Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United and Jose Mourinho having signed up for a second stint at Chelsea.