Bayer Leverkusen's director of sport Rudi Voller believes his side has come of age and will not make the mistake it has done in recent seasons.
Leverkusen have developed a habit of starting the season well only to fall away during the second half of the campaign, but Voller is optimistic and believes his side is good enough to finish inside the top three this year.
"Of course we had the problem last season that we drew 14 matches, but we have improved now," he told Kicker magazine.
"We are certainly not going to repeat that again.
"A club like Bayer wants to play in Europe, every year. We belong to a group of seven or eight Bundesliga clubs with this very same ambition.
"The Europa League is the minimum aim, and if possible we want to get into the Champions League."
Leverkusen start 2011 with a top-of-the-table clash against Borussia Dortmund on January 14.
They currently trail the league leaders by 10 points, but were one of only two teams along with Eintracht Frankfurt to beat Jurgen Klopp's side in the first half of the season.
"We want to be the first team to beat Dortmund twice this season," proclaimed Voller.
"I'll say it diplomatically: we want to get into the Champions League and there is going to be enough competition, and not only from Dortmund and Munich."
