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Roberto Mancini replaces Mark Hughes at Manchester City despite player revolt

MANCHESTER CITY sacked Mark Hughes and appointed Roberto Mancini as their new manager on a day which, even by the standards of the club concerned, involved copious soap opera and farce.

Mancini, inset, a three-time winner of Serie A when boss of Inter Milan, agreed a contract to take charge of City worth £3m net per year, one of the most lucrative deals ever handed to a British club manager. The contract will run until 2013 though there is speculation — denied by Mancini’s camp — that it can be broken after six months, should the Italian fail to pilot City to a top four finish. “I’m very happy and motivated for this new adventure,” said Mancini, whose assistant will be former Manchester United No 2, Brian Kidd. “I’m convinced I can do well.”

The Italian is thought to have finalised his agreement after a clandestine meeting with the City chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, in London last Monday and he will be unveiled at a press conference at Eastlands tomorrow. The management change was announced by City at 6.30pm yesterday despite an 11th-hour attempt by City’s players to prevent Hughes being ditched.

The Welshman confirmed his departure to players amid emotional scenes in the City dressing room following a 4-3 home win against Sunderland, thanking them for their efforts during his 18-month tenure. This prompted a deputation of players led by Shay Given to march to the boardroom to confront Khaldoon and try to persuade him that Hughes should keep his job. They failed.

Some of the squad are thought to have known Hughes’ fate before the game, as did Hughes himself, while the hiring of Mancini emerged in the Italian media yesterday lunchtime. News also filtered to supporters before full-time, contributing to a bizarre atmosphere in match which brought City a third consecutive home win and moved the club up to sixth place in the Premier League.

Khaldoon, who represents Sheikh Mansour, the billionaire Abu Dhabi royal who owns City, sanctioned a change of manager last month after a run of seven consecutive league draws and first met with Mancini on December 3 but delayed appointing the Italian after Hughes masterminded wins over Arsenal and Chelsea.Wednesday’s abject defeat at Tottenham, however, sealed Hughes’ fate. Garry Cook, City’s chief executive and the club’s football administrator, Brian Marwood were thought to be influential in persuading Khaldoon that a change was necessary. Khaldoon said: “A return of two wins in 11 Premier League games is clearly not in line with the targets that were agreed.”

Ivan Carminati, an England fitness coach under Sven-Göran Eriksson, will join Mancini’s backroom team.

City1970 wrote:It will be interesting to see which 6 players had a go about this.

Bet Robinho wasnt one of them.

City1970 wrote:It will be interesting to see which 6 players had a go about this.

xavi6 wrote:
Hughes lickers the lot of them.






;)

Ivan Carminati, an England fitness coach under Sven-Göran Eriksson, will join Mancini’s backroom team.

ant london wrote:

City1970 wrote:It will be interesting to see which 6 players had a go about this.

Bet Robinho wasnt one of them.

bet you Bellamy was!

CityFanFromRome wrote:

Ivan Carminati, an England fitness coach under Sven-Göran Eriksson, will join Mancini’s backroom team.

One of his faithful backroom staff from Inter, really not surprised at that. If Sinisa Mihajlovic hadn't started a manager career himself I would have expected him to join the backroom staff too.

ant london wrote:

City1970 wrote:It will be interesting to see which 6 players had a go about this.

Bet Robinho wasnt one of them.

bet you Bellamy was!

And RSC!

Wooders wrote:from what I hear it was barry, given, bellers and 3 others I would suspect RSC is amongst them

bit of a worry, 3 of our best performers there

zuricity wrote:I can't believe that Given would be involved, 'charging out of the dressing room' the guy doesn't charge anywhere. He stays rooted to his line.

Niall Quinns Discopants wrote:I'm sure some of them are shitting themselves. From now on results will be expected and being best mates with manager will guarantee nothing.

Buffalo Soldier wrote:

zuricity wrote:I can't believe that Given would be involved, 'charging out of the dressing room' the guy doesn't charge anywhere. He stays rooted to his line.

Seriously, what games do you actually watch?