Mancini dismisses alleged Man City 'double contract' as 'not my concern'
Roberto Mancini, the current Italy manager, said at a news conference before Monday's Nations League game against Turkey that an alleged "double contract" from his time as Manchester City manager is "not my concern" after an independent panel found the club guilty of the majority of financial rule breaches they were accused of breaching. He was answering questions about allegations relating to his remuneration while in charge at City.
Mancini managed Manchester City from December 2009 until May 2013, a spell that included winning the FA Cup in 2011 and City's first top-flight title for 44 years in 2012. The Premier League brought 115 charges against City, including 14 instances of failing to provide accurate details for player and manager payments covering the 2009-10 to 2017-18 seasons. That timeframe therefore overlaps with Mancini's three and a half years in charge.
Asked about the specific allegations during the news conference, Mancini replied: "Found guilty of what?" He added: "It's not an issue that concerns me. It's nothing new because this matter has been discussed for the last four or five years." Mancini also said: "Manchester City has not been found guilty, and the alleged double contract is not my concern. It's their issue, not mine."
German newspaper Der Spiegel had previously accused City of paying a "significant portion" of Mancini's compensation "by way of a fictitious consultancy contract". The report alleged that Mancini was paid more by City for his role as a consultant to Abu Dhabi club Al Jazira than he was getting from his role as City manager, excluding bonuses and incentives.
On Friday it emerged that an independent panel had found City guilty of all but one count of the charges brought against them by the Premier League, although sanctions have yet to be determined. The Premier League declined to comment, while City released a statement saying the "Premier League process remains ongoing with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality" and adding: "The club has diligently respected due process for eight years on the basis that the Premier League board and executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair-minded regulator, free from partisan influence."
Other Premier League clubs are believed to have been informed about the decision and have sought legal advice over possible compensation claims. City were charged with more than 100 breaches of the Premier League's financial rules following a four-year investigation in February 2023; the club was referred to an independent commission and a behind-closed-doors hearing began in September 2024 and ran for about 12 weeks.
Mancini made his remarks immediately before Italy's Nations League fixture against Turkey, the match he was preparing for at the news conference.
