Stade Francais president Thomas Savare has warned that the memories of their 2001 European Cup final defeat to Leicester will provide added motivation when they meet in Sunday's Champions Cup quarter-final.
Stade, who sit one place above the Top 14 drop zone with realistically no hope of making the play-offs, travel to Welford Road to face the Tigers for the third time this season.
The 14-time French champions have never won the European Cup, finishing runners-up in 2001 and 2005 to Leicester and Toulouse.
"I was in the stands at the Parc des Princes in 2001 and it's true that there are still scars," said Savare of a match they lost 34-30 in the final minutes.
"In the Top 14 we'll most likely not reach our objectives. In the European Cup our first aim was the quarter-finals. Now we're there it's the final, we have to win three matches and first of all the first on Sunday.
"It is also a title Stade Francais haven't won, so of course it's an ambition of the club to win one day."
Stade returned to the Champions Cup this season after a six-year absence but Savare insisted they had not neglected their domestic campaign with dreams of European glory, instead blaming a certain arrogance.
"It's true of all teams, when you fear the opponent, you're more vigilant, stronger," he explained.
"We committed some sins of pride this year that have cost us. We all know that it will be extremely difficult [against Leicester], at a big club accustomed to the finals.
"But it's sure that with the return to the European Cup, the players are very motivated for this competition.
"This is one of the few games this season where we have all our players, where there is competition to win a place. The team is complete."
A positive result could help salvage what has been a difficult season for Stade, who have lost fie of their last six fixtures.
"The circumstances were really complicated and I didn't anticipate we were going to have as many players selected during the Six Nations and injured," said Savare.
"And the reality is that we haven't shown the level of play we had at the end of last season, except maybe a few matches."