Roberto Mancini believes his contribution to Manchester City’s success has been overlooked.
Former Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini says his role in the club’s success this season should not be overlooked.
Current boss Manuel Pellegrini has been credited with making City – who have scored 106 goals already this season – a more attack-minded side.
But Galatasaray coach Mancini, who was fired by City last summer, says it is the players he bought who are responsible.
“I’m happy that Manchester City is one of the best teams in England because I built this team,” modest Mancini, said.
“The players that score the goals are players that I bought – Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko, Yaya Toure, David Silva and Samir Nasri.”
After Mancini’s departure, City signed the likes of midfielder Fernandinho, winger Jesus Navas and striker Alvaro Negredo, who has already scored 23 goals in his first season.
Pellegrini has managed to ensure City reached the knockout stages of the Champions League, something Mancini, despite spending £285 million on new players, failed to achieve in two attempts.
Former Lazio and Inter boss Mancini did enjoy domestic success with City, guiding the team to success in the FA Cup in 2011 and memorably the Premier League title a year later. Again, though, the manner in which they achieved this latter success, courtesy of a last minute winner in the final match of the season, hardly suggested we were about to witness the birth of a new footballing dynasty. And so it proved: a feeble title defence relinquished the Premier League to a mediocre United side and Mancini was sent packing – but not before he could preside over a limp FA Cup final defeat to relegated Wigan Athletic.
In Pellegrini, he sees not so much a successor as a man continuing his good work.
“I think Pellegrini is doing a good job but what is happening now at Manchester City, we did three years ago. It’s the same,” he said.
The Italian added: “I’m very happy about what I did in Manchester, I love the Manchester City supporters and I had a fantastic experience.
“After four or five years, maybe the manager needs to change team. I did my job, I built a fantastic team, we played fantastic football and we didn’t win last year only because Manchester United bought Robin van Persie.
“He was the difference, if not I think that would have changed the history in Manchester over the last three years. We played really good football and now they are continuing to do this.”
History, they say, is written by the victors. Not in Mancini’s case it’s not.
