Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said his club wants to build a "constructive relationship" with European football's governing body Uefa.
Uefa had banned City from European competition for two years after ruling they had breached Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations but the club won an appeal last month at the Court of Arbitration for Sport to have that verdict and sanction overturned.
City also saw their initial fine of €30 million (Dh124.6m) reduced to €10m.
The club had issued strong condemnations of the investigation but in an interview with the club's website on Monday, Al Mubarak struck a different tone when focusing on Uefa's Champions League competition, in which Pep Guardiola's side were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Lyon.
"Life is too short to carry grudges. It is an important competition. It is one of the most prestigious competitions in the world of sports and it is a competition we want to win and it is a competition we have to respect in order to win," he said.
"And this was a challenge, it’s behind us, end of story as far as I am concerned, I am focused on one thing. How I can help this club compete in this competition and win it and how to have a constructive relationship with Uefa, I think it’s the only way to go."
City have already been busy in the transfer market, bringing in defender Nathan Ake from Bournemouth for a reported £40m and 20-year-old Spanish winger Ferran Torres from Valencia in a deal worth around £20m.
Al Mubarak said the club had moved quickly to get those deals done but added that more new faces could be arriving.
"We don’t take a one-year view, we take a three, five, 10-year view and when we look at what changes or improvements we have to make for this squad, we’re going to make them and we’ll be sensible and pragmatic about it but we will do what it takes," he said.
"There are additional players we will be bringing in and we will stick to the plan, obviously within the realities of the market that we live in today.
“If you look at the acquisitions we have made over the past couple of years, there’s a consistency in the type of player we have targeted in terms of age and quality. So we will continue down that road.
“The age bracket, we are always looking at it as a priority for the first team, in that 20-25 year old category, that’s kind of the spot that we like.
"At the same time, the reason I don’t like to box myself in with this answer is because sometimes opportunities come up that fit with what the manager wants and with what we need for the squad that might be out of that box and if that’s the case, we’re pragmatic enough to make that move.
“So nothing is set in stone. We clearly have a way of doing business in terms of targets that are well defined but at the same time, we’re pragmatic enough to take the opportunity if that opportunity comes up.”
Al Mubarak also hailed Kevin De Bruyne as the “future of the club” and expressed his delight at the Belgian midfielder being awarded the Premier League Player of the Season.
“I was very pleased, very pleased because it is so well deserved,” Al Mubarak said. “It was a combination of being pleased but also a bit relieved. I was worried because we have seen it before with City players, them being overlooked for this very important award and I was worried that Kevin would be overlooked this year, because in my view it was unquestionable.
“My vote was clear, obviously it is subjective because of who he plays for, but Kevin is the best player in the league this year. He’s earned it, he’s shown it and I’m glad he got this appreciation and respect from the football world.
“He has become and important leader of this group. He is really the future of Manchester City Football Club and all I can say is well deserved and well earned.”
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Manchester City 2019/20 season ratings
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MANAGER: Pep Guardiola - 7: City have been thrilling to watch at times, particularly at home, but have also found ways to lose games they should have won. Hard to think of a trophy winning season as a failure, but such are the standards set by Guardiola that it seems like that after the defeat in Lisbon. Long-term injuries to Aymeric Laporte, Sergio Aguero and Leroy Sane, before he was sold, didn’t help the cause, nor did Mikel Arteta’s departure for Arsenal in December. Plenty to think about over the break, but it would be a surprise if City weren’t stronger next season. AFP -
GOALKEEPERS: Ederson - 7: Do any two statistics sum up City’s season so thoroughly as Ederson winning the Golden Glove for keeping 16 clean sheets in 35 Premier League appearances in a campaign when the club also conceded 35 league goals and lost nine league games? Ederson is the most complete goalkeeper in the Premier League and yet was prone to error too often this term. AP -
Claudio Bravo - 6: Sent off against Atalanta in the Champions League after only coming on at half-time for the injured Ederson, his calamitous appearance in Italy seemed to sum up his time at City. Nevertheless, he collected winners’ medals in the Carabao Cup and the Community Shield, memorably saving one of Liverpool’s penalties in a man-of-the-match winning performance. Getty -
DEFENDERS: Aymeric Laporte - 7: His early season injury exposed City’s frailties at the back. His recovery has helped shore up City’s defence, although he was shaky in an unfamiliar set-up in the Champions League quarter-final. Restricted to less than 20 appearances this season. AP -
Kyle Walker - 7: He has been excellent on many occasions, particularly since restart, even if he was far from his best in City’s Champions League exit. Also went in goal after Claudio Bravo’s sending off in Italy against Atalanta and, memorably, kept a clean sheet. PA -
Eric Garcia - 7: A breakthrough performer this summer despite being knocked unconscious against Arsenal, Garcia looked to be the answer to the persistent questions over City’s defensive issues. The news that he is likely to return to Spain soon clouds further judgement of him. EPA -
Benjamin Mendy - 6: Has appeared more for City this season than in his two previous injury hit campaigns combined. Mendy has been both frustrating - his bad error at Chelsea let in Christian Pulisic - and thoroughly competent. His long-term rehabilitation from serious injury continues. Getty -
John Stones - 5: Another tough season for the centre-back, who has struggled with injury and form. Despite rumours he may be shipped out this summer, he has vowed to fight for his place. AFP -
Nicolas Otamendi - 5: Too error prone these days, but still capable of delivering a good performance on occasions. It would be a surprise if he is still at the club when the transfer window closes later this year. Getty -
Angelino - 5: Endured a torrid time in the league defeat at Anfield, although he was hardly alone in that, and was subsequently loaned out to RB Leipzig in January, where he is still in the hunt for a Champions League winners’ medal. AFP -
Oleksandr Zinchenko - 5: Arguably made his biggest statement this season while away on international duty by celebrating wildly after helping Ukraine qualify for the European Championship and then proposing to his TV presenter girlfriend Vlada Sedan hours later. Often asked to fill in as a utility player for City, which makes him hard to judge, but was clearly at fault when caught in possession in the defeat at Southampton. -
Fernandinho - 7: Hard to criticise too much when asked to fill in at centre back after Laporte’s injury, but has looked out of sorts on some of the big occasions, notably in away defeats at Chelsea and Liverpool. Moving him into defence arguably took more away from the midfield than it added to the back line. Even so, he was often the side’s best-performing defender. PA -
MIDFIELDERS: Ilkay Gundogan - 7: Often trusted by Pep Guardiola in the biggest games, Gundogan is a shadow player by nature, breaking up an opposition attack or providing a short pass to an attacking teammate, while others in the team provide the stardust. Occasionally wasteful in front of goal. PA -
Phil Foden - 8: Capped off an outstanding season with a string of fine performances since restart after a man-of-the-match winning appearance in the Carabao Cup final. Close to 40 appearances in all competitions underlines how much he has progressed this term. Reuters -
Rodri - 7: Took his time to settle in, but has looked increasingly comfortable. Claimed a Premier League passing record in February, completing a staggering 178 passes against West Ham. He has the potential to be a key player in the side for years to come. EPA -
Kevin de Bruyne - 9: The best player in the Premier League was often close to perfection this year. Scored a brilliant free-kick against Chelsea after restart and a superb volley against Newcastle last November, both could easily have been goals of the season. He also equalled the Premier League record for most assists in a season with 20, but was strangely quiet in the FA Cup semi-final defeat against Arsenal and not at his best in the Champions League exit against Lyon. PA -
Bernardo Silva - 5: Hugely influential in the two previous title-winning seasons, his form dipped after scoring three times in an 8-0 victory over Watford in September and posting a tweet about one of his team-mates for which he was rightly fined, suspended and reprimanded. Getty -
David Silva - 7: Has been at his best on several occasions since restart and made an emotional final appearance in the Premier League in City’s 5-0 drubbing of Norwich City. His ten-year stint has been transformational at the club, even if European glory ultimately proved elusive. AP -
Joao Cancelo - 6: Has belatedly begun to show the kind of form that persuaded Pep Guardiola to spend big money on him last summer. Will need to develop further next season if City are to reclaim the title. PA -
Riyad Mahrez - 8: After taking his time to settle into the side in last season’s treble winning season, Mahrez has been one of City’s most consistent performers this year. Scored a stunning solo effort against Villa in January on his way to 13 goals in all competitions. He will feel he should have started against Lyon. Getty -
ATTACKERS: Raheem Sterling - 8.5: Another stellar season for Sterling, despite his late miss in the Champions League against Lyon. He has been prolific since restart and was superb in the first half of the season when he bagged hat-tricks in both the Premier League and the Champions League, even if the goals dried up for a time early in 2020. Eventually scored 31 goals in all competitions. AP -
Gabriel Jesus - 7: Divides opinions, but was electric against Real Madrid in the Bernabeu and in the return match at the Etihad. Suffers a little through having to deputise for Aguero, but still managed to score more than 20 goals in all competitions. His time may finally be arriving at the Etihad. EPA -
Sergio Aguero - 7: The club’s record goalscorer was in devastating form when available, but an injury hit season restricted him to just 32 appearances in all competitions, his lowest in his nine years at the Etihad. PA
