Manchester City: 5 Reasons Why Domestic Success Is More Important Than European

Manchester City fans were eagerly anticipating this season due to the fact their beloved club is finally participating in the UEFA Champions League.

Unfortunately, the campaign hasn't gone exactly as planned.

This article looks to give good reason why the domestic campaign is far more important for City than the European one.

Enjoy the slideshow!

Enjoy the Experience and Learn from European Adventure

Manchester City drew one of the toughest UEFA Champions League groups I've seen in a long time.

The fans were never expecting the earth of their team though, more expecting to enjoy every minute of their team participating in the competition.

There are players in the squad who have never played top-tier European football before, and for them it's a great learning curve and experience.

More Likely to Win the League

Something Manchester City are far more likely to do than win the UEFA Champions League is win the English Premier League.

They currently sit atop the table, and should they emerge unscathed from a torrid December period, it might as well become their trophy to lose.

No football fan would be able to argue that City aren't within a shout of winning the league, but almost all will concur they were never going to win the Champions League.

You Have to Be There Next Year, Too

It'd be a big shame if Manchester City did what Tottenham Hotspur did.

Tottenham were well and truly away with the fairies, having beaten both Milan clubs in Europe's elite competition, but came to a grinding halt against Real Madrid in the quarterfinal.

In the same season, City went from strength to strength and secured a Champions League spot at the expense of Spurs, leaving the North London club with an irritating ticket to the UEFA Europa League draw for the following season.

It doesn't look likely that City could drop out of the Champions League places this season, but the lesson is there to be learnt: Progress steadily and make sure you're there next year too!

The English Premier League is tightly contested this season, and there are six teams who look absolutely top quality.

Worry About Barcelona and Real Madrid Next Year

Worry about the La Liga giants next year and pick your battles wisely.

Right now, focus on beating neighbours Manchester United to the English Premier League title, and if you manage it, enjoy the fanfare.

This is the first season in a long, long time that City fans have had genuine reason to feel optimistic about the possibility of finishing above the Red Devils.

Don't let an elongated or prioritised European campaign ruin it.

The Reality of the Situation

The reality of the situation is that Manchester City may well not qualify for the knockout rounds of the UEFA Champions League.

The loss away at Napoli was damaging, and it has left matters out of the Citizens' hands. The Champions League debut may be over shortly, but City still have a promising league campaign to fall back on.

I don't think many Blues fans will care about winning the UEFA Europa League if the English Premier League title is up for grabs.