Man City

[joew2005]

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Mancini: Tevez says he 1s 2 stay

ManC boss Roberto Mancini says tat striker Carlos Tevez has told him tat he 1s 2 stay @ the club next season.

Tevez has been linked with a move away fr England aft he claimed he wanted 2 be nearer 2 his family. The Argentine handed in a transfer request @ the end of last year, but has since opted 2 stay @ the club, helping them 2 break their trophy drought with the capture of the FA Cup & hauling them 2 3rd in the Premier League.

The striker netted 2 sublime goals in a 3-0 win over defeated FA Cup finalists Stoke on Tuesday night & manager Mancini revealed tat Tevez has told him he has no desire 2 leave yet.

"Carlos has told me he 1s 2 stay," said Mancini @ his post-match press conference. ''I hv spoken with him many times in the last 20 days & my opinion is he will stay. He has a 5-year contract & has told us he 1s 2 stay. He said tat b4. He nvr had any problem.

''Carlos has scored 20 goals tis season. Every time we say Carlos is an important player. Carlos is Carlos. He is a fantastic striker & a fantastic player 4 us.

''In December he had a problem. But every1 can change his opinion. I don't know wat his representatives think. Carlos is an important player here. The feeling 4 him is good. Nowhere else can he find behaviour tat all people hv 4 him.''

Mancini is clearly anxious 2 avoid a summer of uncertainty, particularly surrounding his best attacking player, who moved level with Dimitar Berbatov in the race 4 the Golden Boot with a brace tat took him onto 20 for the season.

''I think if he will stay next year he won't change,'' said Mancini. ''When we play in the Champions League, probably we will hv a better squad. We can buy other good players. Why should he change? I don't think tis will happen.''

City know tat victory away 2 Bolton on Sunday will see them stay ahead of Arsenal in the table & Mancini is keen 2 seal an automatic Champions League berth.

The Italian said: "I think it is important we think abt the next game, it is in our hands. It is fantastic becos everything depends on us. We hv got in2 the position. We hv 1 difficult game & it is very important.

"We hv had a fantastic season with 4th place. Now we hv won the FA Cup & if we can recover our strength well in the next 4 days we will go 2 Bolton. We r improving a lot & in the last 40 days we hv played really well. We can only improve next season.

"If we 1 2 win & improve, I know only 1 way - work, work hard. We can improve if we work. It is a very special moment. We hv won a trophy, we r in the top 4, @ the moment we r in 3rd position & I think 4 the supporters it is very special."

[joew2005]

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Man City chief rules out summer spree

Chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak has warned the club's fans not 2 expect another influx of big-name arrivals during the close season, stating: "It won't be like last summer."

City spent unprecedented levels of money 2 bring in the likes of Yaya Toure, Mario Balotelli & David Silva, & Roberto Mancini justified his purchases by qualifying 4 the Champions League & winning the FA Cup.

Having secured a place @ Europe's top table, it was expected tat City would now use Champions League football 2 lure a host of top names 2 Eastlands. CR, Kaka & Xavi hv all been linked, but Khaldoon insists the club will only tinker with the current squad.

"It won't be like last summer, or the summer b4," he said on City's official website. "Wat you will see tis year is strengthening the squad in areas tat we feel require more depth. "We don't need quantity, as 2day we hv quality. We just need a couple of players."

Much has been made of the future of Carlos Tevez, with Thursday's newspapers claiming the Argentinian is not happy @ Mancini's declaration tat he will stay @ the club. However, Khaldoon believes City r now set up 2 cope regardless of individual departures.

"I feel strongly a winning mentality is coming in2 the team," he said. "We hv an incredible squad with so many talented individuals & a lot of heart in tat squad.

"We hv an incredible foundation 4 incredible years ahead."

[joew2005]

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Tevez: I want to leave Man City

ManC skipper Carlos Tevez has told Argentinian radio tat he is seeking a move away fr the club as he needs "a change of scene".

Tevez, 27, has played an integral part in City's success tis season & aft helping the club end their 35-year trophy drought with victory in the FA Cup last Saturday, manager Roberto Mancini insisted the former ManU man was staying @ Eastlands.

"Carlos has told me he 1s 2 stay," Mancini said. ''I hv spoken with him many times in the last 20 days & my opinion is he will stay. He has a 5-year contract & has told us he 1s 2 stay. He said tat b4. He nvr had any problem."

Tevez initially concurred with Mancini's assessment, claiming the chance 2 overhaul former club United provided him with a great incentive 2 stay.

But the striker, who handed in a transfer request in December b4 later withdrawing it, appears 2 hv 1s again made up his mind tat a new challenge is wat he requires.

"I 1 2 leave ManC," Tevez told Radio del Plata. "Football has changed a lot 4 me & I don't know if I will even make it 2 the next WC.

"And tat has nothing 2 do with whether I'm selected or not. I've been treated very well here & I'm grateful. I also gave my everything 4 the club 2 receive the results it has had. But I need a change of scene."

The likes of Inter Milan & Real Madrid hv been linked with the Argentina ace, who is believed 2 hv turned down a massive new deal fr City worth £300,000 earlier in the season.

Tevez's 21 goals tis term hv fired City in2 the Champions League 4 the 1st time in their history & his brace against Stoke on Tuesday has helped put the club on the brink of automatic qualification 4 the group stage of the competition ahead of Arsenal.

As well as interest fr Italy & Spain, Tevez's former club Boca Juniors r reportedly ready 2 offer him a chance 2 return 2 his homeland, though the 4ward admitted the Argentinian side may not be able 2 afford him.

"2 go back 2 Boca Juniors would be beautiful but it is very difficult," Tevez said. "I spoke 2 their midfielder Roman Riquelme &, messing around, we agreed I would go back 1 day. But if we're speaking seriously, financial issues would make my return difficult."

If City agree 2 let their prized asset go, his last game could be tis Sunday's trip 2 Bolton & his last action could be 2 win the Premier League top scorer's crown - Tevez is currently level on 21 goals with ManU's Dimitar Berbatov.

[joew2005]

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Legend warns Tevez to stay at City

Argentina WC winner Ricky Villa has warned Carlos Tevez tat greed could ruin his career aft the ManC striker 1s again demanded 2 leave Eastlands.

Tevez, the Premier League's joint-top scorer, has helped fire City in2 a Champions League place & won the FA Cup tis season 2 end the club's 35-year trophy drought, but has told Argentinian radio tat it is time 4 a "change of scene".

Tevez, who handed in a transfer request in December b4 later withdrawing the demand, has been @ 5 different clubs in the past 7 years & his desire 2 move yet again has sparked anger & condemnation.

Argentina coach Sergio Batista has left the 20-goal striker out of his national squad 4 the forthcoming Copa America tournament & Villa, another famous Argentinian export 2 English football, thinks Tevez needs 2 show loyalty 2 his club.

Ex-Tottenham star Villa, who lifted the FA Cup in 1981 & 1982, told the Daily Mirror: "Tevez is @ the top of his game @ the moment & everybody is saying he will move 2 another team, but it is all abt $.

"We should be talking abt Tevez the way we speak abt Messi. Now, everything is all abt the $. It's greedy, it's greedy.

"I prefer - & I can only speak 4 myself - 4 him 2 stay @ 1 club. It's not nice 2 see him move fr 1 side 2 the other. I prefer 4 the player 2 prove himself @ 1 club.

"You can win the league with City & tat should be a big, big thing. Not the $. It's only 1 million more or less. I don't agree with tat. Wat more does he need? I think he should stay."

Following City's 3-0 win over Stoke City in midweek, Tevez, who scored 2-goals 2 make him joint leader in the race 4 the Golden Boot, told manager Roberto Mancini he was happy 2 stay @ Eastlands.

"He has a 5-year contract & has told us he 1s 2 stay," Mancini said. But Tevez has now gone back on tat decision & appears 2 hv 1s again made up his mind tat a new challenge is wat he requires.

"I 1 2 leave ManC," Tevez told Argentina's Radio del Plata. "Football has changed a lot 4 me & I don't know if I will even make it 2 the next WC.

"And tat has nothing 2 do with whether I'm selected or not. I've been treated very well here & I'm grateful. I also gave my everything 4 the club 2 receive the results it has had. But I need a change of scene."

The likes of Inter Milan & Real Madrid hv been linked with the Argentina ace, who is believed 2 hv turned down a massive new deal fr City worth £300,000 earlier in the season.

As well as interest fr Italy & Spain, Tevez's former club Boca Juniors r reportedly ready 2 offer him a chance 2 return 2 his homeland, though the 4ward admitted the Argentinian side may not be able 2 afford him.

"2 go back 2 Boca Juniors would be beautiful but it is very difficult," Tevez said. "I spoke 2 their midfielder Roman Riquelme &, messing around, we agreed I would go back 1 day. But if we're speaking seriously, financial issues would make my return difficult."

Tevez left Boca Juniors 2 join Brazilian club Corinthians in 2004, since then he has moved 2 West Ham United, ManU & ManC.

[joew2005]

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Man City in for two Japan stars

Japan internationals Keisuke Honda & Yuki Abe r lined up as the 1st new signings of ManC's ambitions 2 win the Premier League title & take on Europe's elite in the Champions League.

Linked with all the world stars fr Lionel Messi 2 CR, Roberto Mancini's 1st global assault takes place with City broadening their global reach.

Honda is rated 1 of the best footballers Japan has produced. The 4ward made an impact in the WC finals, alongside Yuki Abe in midfield.

Honda is currently with CSKA Moscow, while his close friend Abe has already sampled life in England & the game in tis country under Sven Goran Eriksson @ Leicester City.

Even though there has been absolutely 0 speculation abt either Japanese stars, an ESPNsoccernet insider says: "The deals r under way, & expect both players 2 be @ Eastlands."

Honda is a recognised global figure having come 2 the attention of Liverpool earlier in the season when Roy Hodgson was still manager. Honda been has linked with Arsenal since the WC, as well as AC Milan.

Honda started his career @ Gamba Osaka, the same club as former Arsenal player Junichi Inamoto, b4 moving on2 Nagoya Grampus 8.

Yuki Abe moved fr Urawa Red Diamonds 2 Leicester City but is now eager 2 join Honda @ Eastlands. He played in all of Japan's WC games b4 they lost 2 Paraguay in the 1st knockout round.

He was the youngest ever 2 play in the J-League when he made his debut in August 1998 & played a vital role in Urawa wining the 2007 Asian Champions League. The 29-year-old has made 36 appearances 4 Leicester tis season, scoring 1 goal.

[joew2005]

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Mancini calls for City to spend

Roberto Mancini saw ManC clinch automatic qualification 2 the group stages of the Champions League & immediately demanded a fresh injection of cash.

Mancini has shelled out huge sums on star names like Yaya Toure, David Silva & Edin Dzeko since taking charge & the reward is a place in Europe's premier club competition & FA Cup glory.

The club's aim is Premier League & Champions League glory,& Mancini has made it clear tat only an injection of fresh quality will achieve tat.

"We 1 2 buy other players 2 improve becos we need it," Mancini said. "In football you can spend a lot of money but you're not sure if you win.

"If you don't spend you won't win. Football is strange but if you buy good players & work hard you can win.

"It's been a fantastic season but now we hv 40 days 2 buy players who can help us improve."

[joew2005]

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Kompany shifts focus to league title

ManC defender Vincent Kompany has vowed 2 get even closer 2 the Premier League title next year as supporters turned out in their thousands 2 acclaim their FA Cup winners.

At the end of a tumultuous campaign, City finished 3rd in the table, 9 points adrift of champions ManU, trailing runners-up Chelsea on goal difference alone.

It was good enough 2 secure a path straight thru 2 the group stages of the Champions League, which added 2 the end of their 35-year trophy drought completed an outstanding season 4 Roberto Mancini & his men.

But Kompany knows more is expected next term & b4 a parade tat started in Manchester city centre & ended with a massive firework display @ Eastlands, the Belgium defender spelled out the way 4ward.

''We had a good season but the reality is we didn't finish champions, so there is obviously a gap betw 1st place & 2nd & 3rd,'' he said. ''We will do everything we can 2 bridge tat gap. If the club decides 2 buy it will make sense but hopefully tis team will be stronger, regardless of tat.''

Kompany certainly does not feel any sense of inferiority when he assesses City's strengths against those of their rivals.

''There has been very little in our games with United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal & Tottenham,'' he said. ''We will do better next season than tis & the gap is going 2 get smaller.''

[joew2005]

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Mancini reiterates need to spend

Aft securing a place in next season's Champions League, ManC boss Roberto Mancini insists the club must strengthen their squad tis summer in order 2 keep the pace on the continent & domestically.

Mancini, who guided City 2 their 1st silverware in 35 years by winning tis year's FA Cup, has also suggested tat City need 2 be more like illustrious cross-town rivals ManU, & will put tat point 4ward @ a meeting in Abu Dhabi with club chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, on Tuesday.

"Look @ ManU," Mancini told the Sun. "They can play 11 men in a Champions League semi-final & then change nearly all those players 4 the league game.

"We don't 1 2 be like Tottenham who put all their energy in2 the Champions League &, aft tat, lost points in the league.

"We hv improved 200% in 1 year but now we r being asked 2 play & beat the likes of Barcelona. City need 2 improve, we need 2 buy other good players &, on top of tat, some young players who during the year can improve & come in2 the 1st team."

The meeting betw Mancini & Al Mubarak is expected 2 revolve around the Italian's desire 2 bring stars such as Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas & Udinese front-man Alexis Sanchez 2 Eastlands. City reportedly hv up to £120 million 2 spend on recruits b4 the new UEFA Financial Fair Play guidelines come in2 effect.

"If we 1 2 lessen the gap betw ourselves & the others we hv only 2 months. Last year all the players got 2gether late. I 1 all my players @ the beginning of July ready 2 go 4 pre-season," Mancini said.

Meanwhile, Mancini has denied claims tat he gave striker Mario Balotelli permission 2 return home early, with the enigmatic 20-year-old missing the club's FA Cup parade earlier tis week.

Balotelli has been surrounded by controversy since joining fr Inter Milan in 2010, & was allegedly caught by Italian television throwing water bombs @ Serie A club chiefs whilst his team-mates were attending the parade in Manchester on Monday.

[joew2005]

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City rule out Sanchez, chase Napoli trio

ManC coach Attilio Lombardo claims tat the club hv given up on bringing Udinese winger Alexis Sanchez 2 the club, but r interested in Napoli trio Edinson Cavani, Marek Hamsik & Ezequiel Lavezzi.

Sanchez, 22, is tipped as 1 of the best young players in the game & has attracted the interest of Inter Milan & Juventus, who r in talks with Udinese over a summer move.

However, ManU & City hv also been linked with a move 4 the Chilean, although Lombardo believes he would be best 2 stay in Italy.

"It's true we did track Sanchez, but I think tis player is more suited 2 an Italian club right now," City coach Lombardo told Radio Crc.

City will, instead, turn their attentions 2 Napoli as they hv a host of stars who could move 2 Eastlands in the near future.

"I hope there can be some negotiations betw Napoli & ManC, especially as I'd see 1 of their 3 4wards would really suit City," Lombardo added. "The trio of Edinson Cavani, Marek Hamsik & Ezequiel Lavezzi would bring success 2 any club.

"Napoli hv very strong players, but I doubt they'd release Hamsik & Cavani @ the same time. ManC r tracking many players becos tis club 1s 2 do well, 2 win & 2 become the most important side in Europe. Napoli hv good players, so tat is why we r looking @ them."

[joew2005]

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Mancini spells out transfer wishlist
July 3, 2011

Roberto Mancini has hinted tat ManC may be abt 2 go on a summer spending spree aft identifying a host of potential targets in Serie A, though the Italian claimed tat Carlos Tevez will remain @ Eastlands.

City finished 3rd in the Premier League last season but hv been surprisingly quiet since the transfer window opened, with Mancini yet 2 officially welcome any new additions.

Nonetheless, City r expected 2 strengthen their squad b4 the summer is out - with the backing of billionaire owner Sheikh Mansour - as Mancini tries 2 assemble a group capable of launching an assault on both the Premier League & Champions League titles.

The former Inter boss is confident tat club captain Tevez will be part of tat challenge 4 silverware & also revealed tat City r in the process of signing Partizan Belgrade defender Stefan Savic.

"Yes, of course Tevez will stay, he is a fantastic player," Mancini said. "There was talk of an exchange with [Samuel] Eto'o but Inter did not 1 2 sell. I would say a deal 4 Savic has been done, but [Samir] Nasri? No, not yet."

Eto'o & Nasri r 2 of a number of players linked with City, who appear 2 hv failed in their bid 2 sign Udinese winger Alexis Sanchez, & Mancini set the transfer rumour mill in2 overdrive when listing several Serie A stars he would be keen on bringing 2 the City of Manchester Stadium.

"I like Ezequiel Lavezzi, Marek Hamsik & Edinson Cavani," Mancini said. "I like Javier Pastore a little less. Then, when I think of Udinese, I can think of Pablo Armero & Mauricio Isla. And I must say Antonio Di Natale. It's a pity tat he is now getting on in years."

[joew2005]

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Tevez: I want to leave Manchester City
July 4, 2011

Carlos Tevez has 1s again asked 2 leave ManC.

Following a January stand-off with the club, Tevez now says he is finished with life @ Eastlands, & followed up some recent complaints abt Manchester life with a statement tat his family life is the reason behind his desire 2 quit.

Currently @ the Copa America with Argentina, Tevez, 27, says he spoke 2 City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak 2 explain his decision.

"It is with great regret tat I hv 2 inform ManC of my wish 2 leave the club. I would like 2 state tat I hv great respect 4 the club, its supporters & the owner, Sheik Mansoor, who has been nothing other than respectful 2 me," he told the Daily Mail.

"I hope tat the people understand the difficult circumstances I hv been living under the past 12 months, in regards 2 my family.

"Living without my children in Manchester has been incredibly challenging 4 me. Everything I do, I do 4 my daughters, Katie & Florencia. I need 2 be closer 2 them & 2 spend more time with them. I need them 2 be happy becos my life is abt them now. I need 2 be in a place where they can adapt.

"Being captain of ManC, qualifying 4 the Champions League, winning the FA Cup & finishing as top-scorer last season has made me very proud.

"I hope tat most of the City fans will understand tat I hv given them my all on the pitch & tat my dedication 2 the city cause has been 100 per cent on the pitch.

"I hope I hv done my bit 2 help City continue their progress 2wards their ambition 2 be champions of England & 2 advance in the Champions League. I hv no doubt tat the players & management of City will achieve great success in the future."

Despite tat desire 2 leave Eastlands, Tevez looks short of suitors. His move 2 City is said 2 hv cost the club £45 million, & they wish 2 gain a significant return on tat investment.

Links with Real Madrid hv gone cold of late, as has Juventus' interest & a recently-mooted swap with Inter Milan's Samuel Eto'o has also hit the skids.

[joew2005]

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Can't live with him...
July 7, 2011

If it is a transfer window, it must be time 4 Carlos Tevez 2 publicly eye new pastures. If there is a sense of weary familiarity abt tis week's events @ ManC, it is understandable. Tevez has become as high maintenance off the field as he is high energy on it, a player who can create as many problems 4 his own club as he invariably causes 4 opposition defenders.

While City strike a bullish pose, declaring tat they 1 £50 million 4 their captain, the probability is tat they will be both better & far worse off w/o him. An end 2 the repetitive sagas abt the striker's future would be welcome along with a sense tat the club is populated by players who actually 1 2 be there.

In other respects, however, City r likely losers. Naming a price is 1 thing, commanding it is another altogether. A lack of plausible destinations benefits neither. Nor, indeed, does City's wealth. By paying over the odds 4 players, they hv created a situation where rivals aim 2 pay under the market value 2 entice arrivals fr Eastlands. Others r sufficiently savvy 2 know the licence City's involvement grants them. Such situations can develop in2 games of brinkmanship where it is a case of who - buyer, seller or footballer - blinks 1st.

City may argue otherwise, but leaving Tevez 2 rot in the reserves is not an option. Indeed there r very few options available: not ManU, 4 instance, while AC Milan & Chelsea r well-stocked with strikers, Arsenal & Tottenham hv wage structures & Barcelona hv little need 4 a player of even Tevez's calibre.

So, should Real Madrid or Inter Milan not stump up the fee desired, a cut-price deal or the sort of loan move tat took Emmanuel Adebayor 2 the Bernabeu in January is feasible. If normal footballing logic dictates tat the values of players who hv excelled escalates, City r the exception 2 the rule. With UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules a worrying presence on the horizon, the quest 2 recoup money is progressing slowly. But it is 1 thing making a loss on a player considered deadwood (4 some reason, Wayne Bridge's name comes 2 mind), another altogether 2 take such a hit on their top scorer & talisman.

Moreover, Tevez's importance makes him all but irreplaceable. It is not merely tat, with 43 goals, the Argentine is the most prolific player in the Premier League in the last 2 years; it is the context. While he managed 20 last season, none of his team-mates mustered more than half a dozen. With 4 goals in 3 games against Chelsea, he has cemented a reputation 4 scoring big goals tat was established @ both ManU & West Ham. A more recent habit is of scoring the game's 1st goal, setting City en route 2 victory.

In any 1-striker system, tat individual assumes a disproportionate significance. It has been exacerbated @ City by the contrast betw Tevez & the alternatives. A self-sufficient 4ward with a sense of responsibility, an ability 2 hold the ball up & commit defenders, a tireless runner & regular scorer, his attributes r rare.

While City managed 2 win an FA Cup semi-final & some crucial league games in his absence, the 4ward line looked more patched up than permanent. Edin Dzeko has appeared ponderous, lacking the pace 2 chase thru passes & thus open up space behind him 4 David Silva. Mario Balotelli's mercurial nature extends 2 his position: it is hard 2 call the Italian an out-&-out striker, given the wandering brief he normally adopts. Moreover, unlike Tevez, his goals invariably came against inferior opponents. The 1 4ward City own who has displayed the pedigree & natural athleticism 4 the lone 4ward's role is Adebayor, but the sense is tat his bridges hv already been burned.

Outside Eastlands, the list of potential successors is surprisingly brief. Tat City's premier attacking targets were Alexis Sanchez & Neymar is a microcosm of the elite market: most of the major talents r attacking midfielders, wingers or 2nd strikers, rather than men who prefer 2 lead the line. Most of the few who r natural occupants of a No. 9 shirt r contracted 2 the world's elite clubs; some hv snubbed City in the past. Among the anomalies, Falcao may soon join the ranks of the super-rich &, if City cannot hijack Juventus' move 4 another Argentine, Sergio Aguero, he should be out of reach as well.

If Tevez wanted 2 stay, tat would put him in a strong bargaining position. As he doesn't, the small man threatens 2 create a huge void in the City attack. A tendency 2 leave a trail of destruction in his wake has rendered them a more potent team, but it would make him a greater loss. Of Tevez, City may lament: can't live with him, can't live without him.

[joew2005]

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Adebayor furious over City snub
July 8, 2011

Emmanuel Adebayor has launched a tirade against ManC bosses, accusing them of not being "man enough'' 2 formally explain tat he is not wanted.

Adebayor joined the club fr Arsenal for £25 million 2 years ago but was frozen out @ Eastlands last season & spent the 2nd half of the campaign on loan @ Real Madrid.

Aft expecting 2 link up with manager Roberto Mancini & the rest of his squad 4 pre-season, the 27-year-old now claims he has been omitted fr the club's tour of the US, but was only told by football director Brian Marwood's secretary.

He said in the Sun: "Tis is very hurtful & insulting & says alot abt ManC.

"On 1 hand they 1 2 become the biggest, most successful club in the world, yet the people who run the club r not acting in tat way @t all. No-1 @ City is man enough 2 speak 2 me face-2-face 2 explain.

"I just received an email fr Brian Marwood's secretary, a lady @ the club called Claire, telling me 2 report 4 training on July 9. But when I spoke 2 the other players, I found out the 1st team was leaving 4 the pre-season tour of the USA on July 8.

"So it's clear they don't 1 me here but no 1 even called. Brian Marwood just got his secretary 2 send me an email. And I heard tis was the same with @ least 6 other players''

[joew2005]

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Bellamy lifts lid on Mancini feud
July 8, 2011

Craig Bellamy has unleashed a blistering attack on ManC boss Roberto Mancini & revealed he will not go out on loan again tis season.

Bellamy, who is expected 2 be left behind when City's 1st-team fly 2 LA 4 a pre-season tour on Friday, revealed tat Mancini tore up Bellamy's personalised training regime when he took over fr Mark Hughes @ Eastlands.

"It was tough [when Hughes left], it felt like losing some1,'' he told the Daily Telegraph. ''It was probably as bad as losing a family member in some ways, I even struggled 2 eat 4 a few days.

"It was a totally different structure [under Mancini] which affected me completely. Mancini told me 2 stay with the team all the time. We had longer training sessions, but with no intensity whatsoever.

"He seemed 2 know my knee better than I knew it myself. He tried 2 explain why I had problems with it, & wat I should do abt it. When I told him tat my knee was hurting, he tried 2 tell me it wasn't.

"Mancini wanted me 2 come in another day & do some work, but I told him tat I'd finished my work tat day, tat I was keeping 2 my own schedule. Tat was when he started abt my programme, tat I couldn't follow my own schedule while he was the manager, & tat I had 2 do wat he was telling me.

"He said, 'If you don't, you can go back home now. And don't come back in again'. I replied, 'Okay, no problem, I'm going home then'. Tat was a week aft he'd arrived, & then he never spoke 2 me again.

"When I went in2 pre-season, the physio, Jamie Murphy, spoke 2 Mancini & told him tat I wasn't able 2 do alot of the things tat Mancini wanted, becos it would cause a reaction 2 my knee. Mancini 1s 2 hv it all."

Bellamy, 31, who spent last season on loan @ Cardiff City, has no intention of reducing his £80,000-per-week wages in order 2 engineer a move away fr Eastlands, where his contract expires next summer.

"2 be honest I don't 1 2 go on loan again, becos where would I go aft tat?" Bellamy added. "Aft another loan period my options would be probably reduced. A permanent move would be somewhere best, but it would hv 2 be somewhere wealthy, so I can guarantee future earnings 4 my charity, but tat would be difficult with my current wages.

"If they [City] pay me the final year of my wages, then I'm sure I can go wherever I 1. In tat case, my 1st option would be 2 Cardiff, 2 give it another go. But it has 2 be feasible, the financial health of the club is the most important thing.

"No chance [of reducing wages], tat is impossible. I hv my own academy [in Sierra Leone] where I hv 2 take care of 13 children, day in, day out. My wages r more important 2 them than they r 4 me.

"City r the richest club in the world. They work 2 a budget that no-1 else works 2, so they can write their own rules. Right now the club has got itself in a situation where alot of players hv 2 go on loan.

"Obviously it all depends on ManC. At present, I expect 2 go back there & stay the whole year. And if Roberto Mancini is still there, I'll do probably very little, obviously I won't be involved with him & the 1st team."

[joew2005]

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ManC rename stadium
July 8, 2011

ManC hv confirmed their City of Manchester Stadium will be renamed the Etihad Stadium with immediate effect.

City hv agreed a 10-year partnership agreement with Etihad Airways tat will "significantly expand the existing commercial relationship" betw the pair.

Etihad Airways alrdy sponsor the club's shirts, & tat deal has been extended as part of the agreement.

A statement on the club's official website read: "The City of Manchester Stadium will be renamed the Etihad Stadium effective immediately, forming the centre piece of a newly-named Etihad Campus, which encompasses a large part of the Sportcity site in East Manchester, the popular City Square entertainment space & additional existing & planned facilities."

City's CEO, Garry Cook, said: "We r delighted 2 be expanding our relationship with Etihad Airways thru tis comprehensive partnership agreement.

"Most importantly, in addition 2 delivering significant revenue @ a key stage in the club's evolution, the agreement creates exciting opportunities 4 our 2 organisations 2 cooperate more deeply commercially & on media & community initiatives in the future."