Our No.31 admits he’s set himself high targets throughout his career – and one of those remaining is to emerge victorious in the premier European club competition.
He stresses it’s not just his ambition though, it’s an aspiration for City as a football club.
Ederson knows there’s a challenging Round of 16 opponent in front of City in RB Leipzig but it hasn’t stopped him dreaming.
He said: “From 13 or 14 years old, I started watching European football more. Then, between 15 and 16, I went to Portugal, so the dream was closer to me.
“After that, my objective was always that: to play in the Champions League, to play at a big club and to win competitions, to challenge for a World Cup.
“So, I’ve always worked with objectives. ‘I will play in the Champions League; I will play in the Premier League; I will play in the World Cup.’
“I always put it as an objective, because I already achieved my dream of becoming a professional footballer – I achieved that.
“From that moment, I started to set goals in my career and, thank God, I’ve managed to hit these goals.
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“One of the goals I have set for myself is to win the Champions League. That’s what’s missing and I want to be able to achieve this objective.
“I’m willing to always work hard, I always give it my all.
“So, this year, I want to achieve my objective, by any means necessary.”
Discussing City’s passion for the competition, he continued: “We’ve been trying and will carry on trying. We haven’t won it yet; we reached the final [in 2021], and a few semi-finals, and we didn’t come out of it with a good result.
“But I think this year, we’re more than capable of getting to the final and challenging for the title.
“Of course, football doesn’t always go the way we want it to, but we’re going to try again.
“We’re coming after it. I think we’re a group of great quality and that shows how much the club has developed over the last five or six years, with Premier League titles, Carabao Cups [EFL Cup], FA Cups, [FA] Community Shields.
“So, this title is what the club needs, it’s what we athletes need and it’s what [Pep] Guardiola needs here at the club, too. This year, we’re going to try. We’re going after it.”
To be in with a chance of lifting the Champions League trophy, City must, of course, find a way past RB Leipzig in the Round of 16.
The first leg takes place this Wednesday, with an 20:00 (UK time) kick-off at the Red Bull Arena.
Ahead of that tie, Ederson is more than aware we’re up against a ‘good team’ with ‘good players’.
He added: “Well, last season, we played against them in the group stage.
“They’re a good team, they have good players, so we have to be prepared.
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“I’m certain that the whole team will be there. I hope we’ll be able to play well, but it won’t be easy because the Champions League doesn’t have easy games.
“So, I’m expecting a challenge, and I’m hoping we’ll be able to play well and get a good result in the first leg and to carry on with that afterwards.”
