For Pascal Jansen, the object as he begins his first season as New York City FC’s new head coach is a straightforward one. 

“We’re looking for a top-four position in the league, and we will be challenging for one of the cups,” Jansen told The Post in an exclusive conversation. “That’s the mentality and the environment I was looking for myself. … You look at my background, even though we didn’t have the biggest team, we were always competing with the big teams in the leagues. Being successful is one part, but success is also measured by ranking and winning things.” 

Jansen’s message was on par with what NYCFC sporting director David Lee said in a separate conversation heading into the 2025 MLS season.

City is coming off a year in which, despite battling inconsistency on the pitch, they found themselves two wins away from appearing in another MLS Cup Final.