Melbourne City midfielder Neil Kilkenny has underlined the importance of winning the club's first major men's trophy in the Westfield FFA Cup Final on Wednesday.
City will host Sydney FC at AAMI Park in the 2016 FFA Cup decider, with the home side looking to end a wait of almost seven-and-a-half years for a maiden trophy.
While City's Westfield W-League and National Youth League sides have won titles since City Football Group (CFG) purchased the club in 2014, the men's team has yet to make an impact on the trophy cabinet.
Wednesday night will be City's first major men's final - they reached the FFA Cup semi-finals last year and the last four of the A-League on three occasions - and Kilkenny is well aware of the importance of success.
"The City [Football] Group have put a lot of money into the club and it's a fantastic facility that we have here and they want success as much as us… and we knew that when we signed here," he said on Monday.
"They want success and when you play for big teams you have to bring success.
"So obviously it's very important to win on Wednesday night and we're all really looking forward to it and we're determined to put on a good performance."
The FFA Cup Final will see the A-League's leading two teams clash for the first time this term with Sydney (20 points) still unbeaten in 2016/17, while City (16) kept the pressure on the leaders by beating Wellington Phoenix on Sunday.
Last week, Sydney coach Graham Arnold embraced the challenge of finishing the A-League campaign unbeaten, claiming he wants his team to match Arsenal's Invincibles.
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Kilkenny, who came up through Arsenal's academy when Thierry Henry and Co. were setting records in 2003/04, was unfazed by such rhetoric.
"You have to respect them, you know? Obviously they're a decent team and we know that and fair play if they want to do that," he said.
"That's obviously their aims and everyone has got aims, so our aim is to win on Wednesday night."
City received a boost on Sunday when marquee midfielder Nicolas Colazo came on for the last 14 minutes against Wellington in his return from ear surgery.
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The Argentine claimed he is ready to start if called upon against the Sky Blues.
"Yeah, I feel alright," Colazo said.
"Thanks to the support of my [team-mates], the coach, my family and the doctor, obviously, I feel alright.
"I hope to play on Wednesday and take the win. It's important for the club and this team."
