Manchester City news: Roberto Mancini fell out with EVERY player while at the Etihad, reveals Shay Given
Sponsored by
FORMER Manchester City player Shay Given has claimed Roberto Mancini fell out with EVERY player at the club.
The Italian, now in charge of Zenit Saint Petersburg, was a hugely popular figure amongst supporters at the Etihad during his four-year spell in charge of the Citizens.
He guided the club to their first title in 44 years plus the FA Cup before his departure in 2013.
However, although much-loved in the stands, his former goalkeeper has given an insight into the dressing-room at the time – and revealed he felt like “partying” when he left in July 2011 due to escaping Mancini.
Given wrote in his new book, which is being serialised in the Daily Mirror: “For the love of me, I couldn’t work Roberto Mancini out. He fell out with everyone. And when I say everyone, I mean everyone.
“The players, the back-up staff, the physios, the kitman, the press officers, the canteen workers, the car park lads, the lot.
“He probably even swung a punch or two at his own reflection for looking at him funny.”
The ex-Republic of Ireland star, 41, continued: “Every single morning, he’d sit on an exercise bike and the physio would come to him to report what condition the squad was in. That was the start of World War Three every day.
“The physios would deliver a standard list of who was and wasn’t fit and he would erupt in anger, accusing them of shielding fit players or not working hard enough to get injured players back.
“Tell me, how does that get the best out of people? Life is not meant to be that difficult.
LATEST MANCHESTER CITY NEWS
The maddest thing was, after causing chaos with everybody in the week, I’d then go off to St Pius X Church in Alderley Edge on a Sunday morning and he’d be in there, as devout a Roman Catholic as could be.”
Given also provided an inside look into the old Inter Milan manager’s training techniques – and he was left underwhelmed to say the least.
He wrote: “At most clubs I’ve been at, you do a bit of team shape on a Thursday to lead into the weekend and you play 11 v 11.
“The two teams would be the rough starting XI v the ‘Custard Pies’ who were on the bench. But at City it would just be the starting XI against nobody. Ghosts. Nothing.
“I’d roll the ball out to the right-back, he’d pass it back. I’d pass it to the centre-half, and he’d pass it back.
“I’d kick to Bellamy or Stephen Ireland and he’d dribble, at walking speed, towards their goal. Then they passed it to Tevez or whoever and he’d have to score. Into an empty net.
“F***ing hell, even I’d score a hatful in those circumstances. It was weird because it wasn’t done at any great pace or intensity so I couldn’t work out the point of it.
“Last time I checked, when you kicked off on a Saturday you had 11 men in front of you, but still we did it every week.”
Given added: “I loved the rest of the staff and my team-mates at City.
“It was the man who matters most who I cared for the least — and it was clear that the feeling was mutual.”
BET £10 GET A FREE £30 BET WITH SUN BETS
The summer transfer window was one the craziest we have ever seen.
Take a look at the most profitable transfers of ALL time.
And here are the Premier League players whose wages made them the most expensive per minute played.
