Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne has rejected suggestions that his side have to win the Champions League before they can be considered a top team.
City broke all sorts of records en route to the Premier League title last season, finishing 19 points clear of their nearest challengers on the domestic front, but they once again fell short in Europe.
Pep Guardiola's side were beaten 5-1 on aggregate by Premier League rivals Liverpool in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, but De Bruyne believes that the top-flight title requires more consistency to win.
"I don't agree that we have to win the Champions League to be a success. It is a big title to win but in the Champions League you don't need to have the consistency that you need in the league," he told BBC Sport.
"We were great for the whole year, maybe a bit less against Liverpool, and so we were out. It is a tournament, you need to be good at the right time.
"In the league if you have a bad spell then you are running behind. It is a different prospect, cup games are different to a league."
City have never made it past the semi-finals of the Champions League.
Barney Corkhill
