Manchester City defender Ruben Dias has admitted that he and his teammates "love the pressure" that comes with chasing down a historic treble ahead of Saturday's Champions League final against Inter Milan.
History beckons for the Citizens as they are hoping to become the first English club since rivals Manchester United in 1999 to win the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in the same campaign.
Success at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul would see City lift their first European trophy since the Cup Winners' Cup back in 1970, and Dias has insisted that Pep Guardiola's side are unfazed by the high expectations placed on their shoulders.
"We love the pressure. Since a long time, the pressure has been on and we love it," Dias told reporters at a press conference on Friday.
"The pressure in the right measure makes you run faster, jump higher and be more focused.
"In the end that's what these games need. You have to embrace it and never forget to be yourself.
"Mostly we enjoy it. We know what it means to be involved and to our families and our fans but we never forget to enjoy it."
Dias has established himself as a leader within the Citizens squad since his arrival from Benfica in 2020 and has been an integral part of the club's success this season, with the centre-back featuring 42 times in all competitions.
The 26-year-old is one of the most vocal members within Guardiola's squad, and he believes that the assembly of "five captains" including himself at the club has helped them to step up their efforts for the big matches.
"[Leadership is] an important part of my role and everyone else's," Dias added: "We have a group of five captains but in the end, we are all captains and we can all step up when the time is right.
"It's a special characteristic our team has. The main word goes out to the club because they were able to get together a group of players who everyone in their own context were all leaders.
"We have brought those leaders together. That's why when these moments come we know when it is time to step up and we know when it is time to find strength within ourselves.
"We have many voices in the dressing room, not just one, not just five and that is a special attribute our team has."
Asked how he will feel standing in the tunnel before walking out for Saturday's showpiece event, the Portugal international added: "I've been saying this for a long time, since February when the decisions come up, it's the sweet spot.
"You can see the character of a team when you arrive to these stages, you can see whether a team wants to move forward or starts hiding.
"Since that moment we've been showing up every time and tomorrow will be no different. It's another time for all of us to step up to the occasion."
Meanwhile, Guardiola has insisted that his Man City squad are "ready" to end the club's long wait to win the Champions League and has played down suggestions that their 2021 final defeat to Chelsea will have an impact on the result in Istanbul. body check tags ::
