Former Man City striker Darius Vassell believes the club will be spurred on to win this season's Champions League after UEFA announced their intention to ban the Blues from club competitions for two seasons.
The shock verdict was delivered last Friday with UEFA concluding that City had "seriously breached" regulations regarding club licensing and sponsorships.
City described their decision as "disappointing, but not surprising" and confirmed they would appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
If the ban is upheld, Pep Guardiola's men could be forced to miss out on Champions League football for the next two years, further emphasising the need to overcome Real Madrid in the last 16.
City travel to the Bernabeu on February 26 for the first leg and Vassell thinks the ban could serve as motivation for the players.
"Footballers have a knack of liking to do things like that," he told Sky Sports.
"'Okay we can't control the part of the game that aren't on the pitch but when it comes to the pitch stuff, we're going to go out, do our best, go out and win to make our statements that way' and it wouldn't surprise me if that was an aim of not just Guardiola and his players but everyone connected with the club.
"Manchester City for such a long time have been associated with so much postivity. The way they've changed the scope of the Premier League and teams coming off the back of that, obviously Liverpool this season.
"They will want to continue in that vein by winning that trophy and picking that up.
"That's the best way of showing they're about positivity, about performing in that right way and winning trophies."
