Manchester City plan bigger Etihad but wait for Manuel Pellegrini
Extra tier for 6,000 fans will expand stadium to the third biggest in the Premier League
Manchester City will announce plans for a £50m investment to expand their stadium capacity by 6,000, with an option to go even bigger, as they continue negotiations to bring the Chilean Manuel Pellegrini in as successor to Roberto Mancini, The Independent can reveal.
Pellegrini's appointment is neither imminent nor a done deal, despite reports from Spain that he is leaving Malaga to join City on a two-year contract. But City are confident the 59-year-old will join them and are also preparing to build on a high volume of sell-outs at the Etihad by adding a third tier to their South Stand, taking the capacity to 54,000 – leapfrogging Newcastle and Sunderland to command the third highest capacity in the Premier League, after Manchester United and Arsenal.
Subject to consultation with the local community in east Manchester, a planning application will be submitted in the autumn which may also include proposals to expand the north side of the ground. That could see the stadium capacity reach closer to Arsenal's 60,300.
City's feasibility studies for ways of expanding their ground have included an analysis of lifting off the roof and creating an entire new tier to boost capacity to over 70,000, hugely increasing match-day income. But a more organic type of development – increasing the stadium bit by bit – is considered the best way to accommodate new capacity as the club's growth brings in more fans. The stand, scheduled to open in the summer of 2015 and subject to public consultation work which begins next month, will accommodate a substantial number of far lower priced tickets season tickets costing under £300. The reorganisation of the ground will also see away fans moved – something City fans have been asking for over a number of years.
The plans, scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2015 and subject to public consultation which begins next month, include lower-priced season tickets costing under £300. Tickets sold on match days will make up the rest of the extra capacity which the club does now need. Some hospitality sales will also be taken up in the new tier, which the club will show has been drawn up in keeping with the rest of the 11-year-old stadium.
The Etihad, which was designed by architects Arup for the 2002 Commonwealth Games, has a capacity of 47,805 and the extra tier will take it well above Liverpool and Chelsea, other clubs who desperately need a way of increasing match-day revenues but do not have the room to expand that City enjoy.
City require the team to develop even more radically than their stadium as they seek to boost their domestic and global following to a level where they would be capable of filling a 70,000-seat facility like Manchester United. They are some way off that at this stage. Though the dismissal of Mancini on Sunday, announced late on Monday, has been met with fierce criticism, there is a deep conviction at City that changing managers is the right course of action.
It remains difficult to find any players to contradict the more readily available impression that Mancini was unpopular. The Independent's attempts to locate one drew another blank. It seems significant that even the club captain, Vincent Kompany, an articulate and prolific user of social media, has offered no comment or good wishes towards Mancini.
Malaga's two remaining La Liga fixtures, at home to Deportivo on 26 May and away to Barcelona on 1 June, are limiting City's ability to deliver Pellegrini, with the Spanish club still seeking a Europa League place. The attempt to recruit the Chilean was said last night to remain "absolutely, certainly not, a done deal".
A two-year contract would give Pellegrini significantly less security than Mancini's most recent five-year deal, indicating that City want to see how the appointment pans out rather than making an emphatic statement of intent. Because of Malaga's Champions League ban for next season and Rayo Vallecano's failure to secure a Uefa licence, La Liga's ninth-placed club could qualify for the Europa League. Malaga are sixth, seven points clear of ninth-placed Getafe.
Stadium Expansion Thread: viewtopic.php?f=119&t=45914
MANUEL PELLEGRINI TARGETS FIVE FOR MANCHESTER CITY
MANUEL PELLEGRINI has handed Manchester City a five-man shortlist of transfer targets after agreeing a two-year contract at the Etihad.
And Starsport can reveal that his top target – Malaga star Isco – has already agreed to follow the Chilean to City at the end of the season.
Pellegrini is free to join City after reaching an agreement to tear up his current contract, and will not cost CIty a penny.
Cash-strapped Malaga will waive his £3.4m release clause so they don’t have to pay any of the £8.4m he is owed on the remaining two years of his contract.
Pellegrini, 59, wants to hit the ground running when he arrives this summer. His main priority is to strengthen City in wide areas, which is a position Isco can fill.
The 21-year-old has been a revelation in Spainto become the next big star of
City have already tabled a cash-plus-player bid of £16.9m, with Spanish youth international Denis Suarez believed to be the man offered as a makeweight.
Malaga would prefer a straight cash deal and are holding out for around £25m, which is unlikely to prove a stumbling block with City prepared to back their new man.
Pellegrini is also interested in Real Madrid winger Angel di Maria, plus Seville stars Jesus Navas and Geoffrey Kondogbia.
Borussia Dortmund’s £32m-rated winger Marco Reus – who has helped his side reach the Champions League final this season – is also a target.
There is also an option to extend it if both parties are happy.
An official announcement will not be made until the end of the season – but 59-year-old Pellegrini has already informed his players at Malaga of his decision to join City.
The Spanish club do not want the news of Pellegrini’s departure to derail their drive for Europe and will not comment publicly until the end of the season.
Malaga are currently banned from entering European competitions because of financial irregularities, but are confident this will be overturned at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Fernandinho asks for buyout clause to be lowered to facilitate Manchester City talks
MANCHESTER CITY have been given a boost in their encouragement to land Fernandinho.
The Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder has already indicated his desire to join the City revolution as he looks to test himself at a higher level.
Furthermore, Fernandinho is pushing for a place in Brazil's World Cup squad for 2014 and feels a move to the Etihad could improve his chances.
While Shakhtar inserted a £40.5m release clause to ward off suitors, Fernandinho has called for the club not to play hard ball so as to harm his chances of a summer move.
He said: "The day I signed, the club's director guaranteed me that was normal with his players, and that in a transfer, we could negotiate and reach an agreement on the price.
"I trusted them, and I didn't think about the consequences it would bring me in the future.
"My dream is being threatened because of the high valuation."
Fernandinho was on target for Shakhtar against Chelsea in the Champions League group stages.
Mancini sacking no surprise for Balotelli
A year to the day after winning City's first championship in nearly half a century, Mancini was sacked by the club's Abu Dhabi owners on Monday.
The 48-year-old Mancini's dismissal followed City's shock FA Cup defeat by Wigan on Saturday and their inability to defend their English Premier League title as rivals Manchester United ran away with the league this season.
AC Milan striker Balotelli -- who played a part in City's Premier League title success as City finished top for the first time in 44 years last season -- endured a love-hate relationship with his former manager before his move to Italy.
"I am not really surprised," Balotelli, who joined Milan in a $30 million transfer in January, told CNN. "When I was with him he was a great manager and we had the best, I think, one of the best teams I have played with."
After Mancini's sacking, City's former kit man Stephen Aziz, described the Italian as "arrogant, vain and self-centred" in one of a series of tweets that were later deleted from his Twitter account on Tuesday.
And Balotelli hinted at difficulties within the City squad.
"I don't know why they didn't win. But obviously there were some problems inside - I don't know. I am here so I don't know."
The striker left City in January as he returned to Serie A following a training ground bust-up with Mancini -- an incident that was caught by photographers and received prominent media coverage.
It was the final episode in a tempestuous partnership with Mancini first having given Balotelli his big break as a raw, but talented 16-year-old at Inter Milan.
Jose Mourinho described Balotelli as "unmanageable" during his time as Inter coach, but Mancini was more willing to forgive the talented striker's misdemeanors.
At times Balotelli endured a troubled time at City, crashing his car on the way to training just days after signing in August 2010, while he was also reprimanded for throwing a dart at a youth team player the following March.
In October 2011, Balotelli was forced to call the emergency services to his home after a firework was set off in his bathroom, leading to a fire.
The next day he helped City defeat Manchester United win 6-1 at their rival's Old Trafford stadium before revealing a t-shirt emblazoned with the words, "Why always me?"
Just weeks before their infamous coming together on January 3, Mancini had spoken of his love and admiration for a man who he considered to be a son.
"I love Mario because for many years we have worked and lived together," he told the British media in January.
"I've seen him grow. But the professional relationship is another thing and I've told Mario what I need from him."
Noel Gallagher On Roberto Mancini's Sacking As Manchester City Manager
Noel Gallagher makes his latest appearance on talkSPORT to give his reaction to Roberto Mancini's sacking as Manchester City manager.
Mancini, who led City to the Premier League title last season and FA Cup success in 2011, was shown the door on Monday after failing to win a trophy this term.
"Having won the Premier League and the FA Cup, he probably deserved another crack at it, but reading some of the stuff in the papers it would seem like he has lost the dressing room," said Gallagher
AUDIO Interview: http://www.talksport.co.uk/radio/andy-g ... ger-197608
Moyes feels for Mancini after City sacking
Incoming Manchester United manager David Moyes has labelled the sacking of Roberto Mancini at Manchester City as “harsh”.
Mancini was removed from his post at City on Monday, just two days after the club lost the FA Cup Final to Wigan, and exactly one year since he led the club to their maiden Premier League title.
The Italian was also at the helm when the Etihad Stadium outfit broke their 35-year trophy drought, beating Stoke City 1-0 in the 2011 FA Cup Final.
City have failed to keep the pace with United this season, and although they sit second in the table, the club’s mega-rich owners from the Middle East decided to dispense with Mancini’s services.
Moyes – who will take over at Old Trafford from Alex Ferguson at season’s end – believes that the 48-year-old has been unfairly treated.
“It is difficult to say on Mancini because I am not on the inside there,” Moyes said.
“But I look at a club that has now won a title and FA Cup recently, been in another FA Cup final and finished second in the league. It’s harsh.”
Moyes does not appreciate an approach that involves regular swapping of managers and said that although Chelsea – who have employed eight managers on a permanent or interim basis since 2007 – have enjoyed success, it is a policy he does not agree with.
“Chelsea have won a lot of trophies but I can’t see how continually changing managers – especially when you have to pay so much in compensation – is helpful,” he stated.
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[/spoiler]Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers was at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night to watch Wigan winger Callum McManaman and midfielder James McCarthy, both 22. Times
Rodgers is ready to make a £4m bid for 20-year-old Sporting Lisbon central defender Tiago Ilori. Daily Mirror
France full-back Bacary Sagna has shocked Arsenal by admitting he would not "close the door" on a move to Paris St-Germain or Monaco. Sun
Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund have joined Arsenal and AC Milan by showing an interest in Aston Villa striker Christian Benteke, 22. Daily Mirror
Chelsea are expected to confirm they have agreed terms with midfielder Frank Lampard, 34, over a new contract. London Evening Standard
Hull manager Steve Bruce wants to sign Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel - son of his former Manchester United team-mate Peter - as the Tigers plan for their Premier League return. the Sun
Chelsea defender Ashley Cole, 32, will be invited to captain England against the Republic of Ireland on 29 May to commemorate his 100th cap. DSSC
Roy Hodgson has urged England's youngsters to step up to take over from Rio Ferdinand, 34, after the Manchester United defender announced his international retirement. Sun
Hodgson could call up uncapped Swansea winger Wayne Routledge, 28, for the end-of-season friendlies against Republic of Ireland and Brazil. Independent
Chelsea's Belgian attacker Eden Hazard, 22, says he would welcome the chance to work with Jose Mourinho, who has been linked with the manager's job. Daily Express
Wigan chairman Dave Whelan remains confident that he can persuade Roberto Martinez, 39, to remain as Wigan Athletic manager despite the club's relegation from the Premier League. Daily Telegraph
Retiring Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has criticised the hire-and-fire culture of the club's Premier League rivals. Daily Telegraph
Liverpool chairman Tom Werner has hailed the "immense contribution" of Jamie Carragher, 35, and says there will always be a role for the retiring defender at Anfield. Liverpool Echo
Relegated Wolves are lining up an ambitious move for former England manager Steve McClaren as they aim to return to the Championship at the first attempt. Daily Mirror
Juventus coach Antonio Conte, 43, has confirmed he will remain at the club next season following an agreement struck with directors on Wednesday. Corriere della Serra
Former Liverpool defender Sami Hyypia, 39, is to become the sole coach of Bayer Leverkusen, a job he previously shared with Sascha Lewandowski. L'Equipe
Fifa president Sepp Blatter says it is "not rational" to play football in the heat of the Qatari summer, as planned for the 2020 World Cup. Sueddeutsche
Chelsea's Europa League final bid almost got off to the worst possible start when the team coach left their Amsterdam hotel without 30-year-old goalkeeper Petr Cech. Metro
A sports news website linked to the company owned by Newcastle owner Mike Ashley has apologised after claiming the Magpies were set to make a move for Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney, 27. SportsDirect News
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