Roberto Mancini rejects Manchester City financial-case concerns

Roberto Mancini says he is not concerned by the financial-rule case involving his former club Manchester City, despite the Premier League side reportedly being found to have committed all but one of 115 alleged breaches.

The case includes an allegation that Manchester City failed to disclose the full details of Mancini’s salary during his time as manager between the 2009-10 and 2012-13 seasons.

Mancini, who is now manager of Italy, was linked to the club’s so-called “dual contract” issue after leaked emails led to an investigation into Manchester City’s financial affairs. The correspondence alleged that the Italian was paid through two separate arrangements.

Under the claims, Mancini received £1.45m a year for managing Manchester City, while being paid an additional £1.75m annually for four days of consultancy work for Al Jazira.

Al Jazira is also part of the portfolio owned by Manchester City’s owner, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed. The alleged arrangements surrounding Mancini’s earnings form part of the wider case brought by the Premier League against the club.

Manchester City were charged by the Premier League in February 2023 and have consistently maintained that they are innocent of the allegations. The club is expected to appeal against any sanctions imposed if the case results in punishment.

Those penalties are expected to be severe, but Mancini said the situation did not concern him. Speaking to The Sun, he said: “I don’t think Manchester City have been found guilty. On the contrary, it is not a problem that worries me, but it is not something new.”

He added: “Manchester City are not guilty, and the dual contract is not my problem. If there is a problem, it is their problem.”

The alleged failure to report Mancini’s remuneration properly is one of the financial matters under scrutiny in the Premier League’s case. The investigation was prompted by leaked emails that raised questions over whether the club had accurately declared its payments to the former manager.

Mancini led Manchester City during the period covered by the allegations before later taking charge of Italy. Despite the possibility of major consequences for the club, he has dismissed concerns about the case and rejected the suggestion that the alleged dual-contract arrangement should be viewed as his responsibility.