Manchester City: 5 Reasons the Europa League Is Worth Winning

It seems that Roberto Mancini has decided to try and win the Europa League.

He said he would, but none of us really believed him until we saw the team he put out to face FC Porto, last year's winners, over the two-legged tie. He fielded a full strength squad which, in the end, absolutely battered the reigning Portuguese champions.

So now the debate over whether or not Manchester City will go for it is over, fresh questions arise over whether or not it's actually worth winning.

Here are five reasons why I back Mancini's decision to try and capture the trophy.

A Trophy Is a Trophy

Just ask Arsenal fans.

Right now, they'd take a trophy in any way, shape or form.

The Carling Cup is often labelled a 'Micky Mouse' trophy—try telling that to the Liverpool players who've just triumphed. As Both Liverpool and Arsenal will verify, it's amazing how you can find yourself out of contention for trophies year after year.

When you've got the chance to win one, you have to do your best and take that chance.

Football Guarentees Nothing

Manchester City have spent big, accumulating a massive squad packed with talent.

This, in all honesty, guarantees nothing.

The Citizens have got themselves into a great position for the Premier League title run, but they are not a shoe-in to be crowned champions.

They've gone out of the FA Cup early and fallen to eventual winners Liverpool in the Carling Cup. Their maiden UEFA Champions League campaign taught them some important lessons about how far they have to go.

They are guaranteed nothing—they must earn everything.

Expand Your Fanbase

As an ambitious club, Manchester City should be looking to expand their fanbase all over the world to the levels their league and local rivals possess.

A massive source of income for Manchester United and Chelsea remains the Asian and North American markets, where successive preseason tours allow them to make plenty of money from the fans living overseas through merchandising.

Getting on television on the UEFA Europa League final can't harm them, especially if that might be against Manchester United. That particular final would reignite the competition and attract worldwide audiences.

That is all good publicity for the Citizens.

The Squad Can Handle It

A major concern in modern football is the increased number of games a club must play. Being involved in a European competition is often regarded as a detriment to teams' fitness levels and season schedule.

If it's the UEFA Champions League, it's not a detriment because it's a prestigious competition.

If it's the UEFA Europa League, well—It's fair to say not that many people place a significant importance on it. This just fuels the idea that managers are able to effectively "throw it away."

For examples of that, check the squad list for Aston Villa's trip to CSKA Moscow in 2009 or Stoke City's visit to Valencia a week ago.

But Manchester City have such a massive, talented squad they could fight effectively on both fronts. They have the players, the fitness and the momentum to go on and win both the Premier League and the Europa League—so why not try?

Good Practice for the UEFA Champions League

The hope was to knock out Champions League football after Christmas.

It didn't happen, but Manchester City's first experience in Europe's elite competition will set them up well for the future.

Playing European football is not something the club have become particularly used to over the past decade, having battled in around the bottom of the league during this time before their oil-rich takeover.

Gaining increased exposure to it will only help the club settle into the rhythm Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United are firmly entrenched in, making it feel all the more natural when they re-enter the UEFA Champions League again next season.