Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has admitted that his team may not be ready to win the Champions League just yet.
The Citizens are on course for another early exit following last year's disappointment, when Bayern Munich and Napoli progressed from the group instead.
City currently sit bottom of Group D with just one point from their opening three fixtures, but Mancini believes that his team need more experience playing in Europe's elite club competition.
"I don't think that we are ready to win the Champions League," said Mancini. "We are a good team. We are not ready like the other teams.
"Chelsea tried for 10 years to win the Champions League. They were probably the best team in Europe for 10 years and they won it after 10 years, probably when they didn't deserve to. They deserved to win it three or four years before. The Champions League is like this.
"If we are very good, we are fantastic, we win the next three games, everything can happen. But, before, the way is very long."
City welcome Ajax to the Etihad Stadium tonight.
Michael Penkman
