Samaras reveals Euro ambition
Georgios Samaras has told skysports.com that Manchester City must aim for the top-six.
Georgios Samaras has told skysports.com that Manchester City must aim to claim a place in Europe next season.
The January transfer window signing from Heerenveen concedes, however, that much will depend on the comings and goings at Eastlands this summer.
In the midst of a run of five successive defeats manager Stuart Pearce intimated recently that he would consider wholesale changes to the playing squad with a view to a more successful campaign next time around.
City still have five matches of the current campaign remaining but Samaras, too, is already focusing on future challenges.
"Our target for 2006-2007 is to get the ticket for the Uefa Cup. This is exactly what the fans, the club and us [the players] want," said Samaras.
"I don't know how far we can go next season because many things are depending on how the team will be next season.
"I mean we will have to wait until the summer to see who will come and who will go.
"We still have six league games to play for this season and we will try our best to get as many points as possible.
"My personal target for the next season is linked with City's target. Through City's success, I will satisfy my personal aims."
City's season has threatened to tail off after a disappointing FA Cup quarter final exit at West Ham and Samaras claims the defeat took its toll on the squad.
"It was a disappointing result for us. We wanted to be at the semi-finals and have a chance to get to the final," added Samaras.
"We felt disappointment because we played in front of our fans and the loss affected us badly but I think we have now overcome it.
"We have a lot of confidence in ourselves."
Despite the recent setbacks Samaras claims he knew he had made the right decision to move to Eastlands as soon as he had first spoken to Pearce.
"From the first time I spoke with him and I heard how he thinks about football I can say that I was sure I would work with him," added Samaras.
"After my conversation with him - many weeks before the signing - it made it clear in my mind what I wanted and where I wanted to go."
Samaras is also determined to re-establish Greece on the international circuit after the disappointment of the European champions' failure to qualify for the World Cup.
"I had a good start with the national team. I hope to continue like that. We have some friendlies now until the beginning of the qualifying games for Euro 2008," said Samaras.
"We are the European champions and we will try our best to take the ticket for the Euro 2008 finals."
