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Roberto Mancini

Mancini criticises Manchester City bosses over doubts about his future

City's loss means the club will end the season without a significant trophy for the first time in three years and is likely to intensify speculation about Mancini's job security in the British press.

AFP

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini lashed out at the club over the uncertainty surrounding his future after defeat in the FA Cup final.

City's loss means the club will end the season without a significant trophy for the first time in three years and is likely to intensify speculation about Mancini's job security in the British press.

Spanish media reports claim Mancini could be replaced by Malaga coach Manuel Pellegrini in the close season, and the Italian angrily rebuked his employers for not publicly addressing the rumours.

Speaking to the media after the FA Cup final at a rain-soaked Wembley Stadium, he said: "You continue to talk about this for six months and also in the last two weeks, too much.

"I don't know why the club didn't stop this, because I didn't think it was correct. I don't think that it's true."

Asked if he had demanded reassurances over his position, he replied: "No, I didn't need to ask this to the club because there isn't any reason for me."

The loss to Wigan completes a miserable season for City, who limped out of the Champions League in the group phase and whose Premier League title defence was torn to shreds by Manchester United.

Not for the first time, Mancini laid the blame at the door of the City owners for failing to back him in the transfer market.

But he insisted that the club should not be disappointed with their season.

"I think our mistake started in the last [transfer] market, because we didn't put enough into our team," he said.

"After you win a Premier League, after many years [of waiting], the second year is more difficult. The risk is you don't get into the Champions League, maybe do a bad season.

"Instead we had some problems because we lost players at key moments, but after all the problems, we did a good season.

"And if you're in a final and you don't play well, you can lose."

He added: "I don't think last year, when Manchester United lost the Premier League and didn't play the FA Cup final, they did all this chaos that we did, or you [the press] did.

"They did the same season like us. In football, you can win, you can not win, but I think second [in the league] is a good season for us."

Mancini also rubbished suggestions from journalists that he had been discussing his future with City chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak during a pitch-side conversation before the match started.

"You think the chairman told me before the game, 'Don't worry'?" he said.

"You wrote these things. We'll see if it's true in the next few weeks. If it's not true, you wrote a lot of stupid things in the last six months and the last two weeks. If it's true, I'm stupid and didn't understand anything.

"But I work with serious people and now we have to work hard for next season.

"I don't need to talk about this. In two weeks, maybe one week, next Sunday, the championship will finish, and you'll know if it's true or not."

City full-back Pablo Zabaleta, who was sent off in the 84th minute after picking up a second yellow card, said the speculation about Mancini did not affect the players.

"It is not our decision about the manager," he said. "We need to stay focused and see what happens with Roberto in the future."

Mancini conceded that his side had been second-best.

"It was a good game," he said. "They scored in the last minute and for us it was very difficult. We didn't play very well. I don't know why.

"We had a chance because we had two or three incredible chances, but in the end we didn't play like we usually do."

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Mancini criticises club bosses over doubts about his future
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