Roberto Mancini has stated that an alleged “double contract” from his tenure as Manchester City manager is “not my concern,” following the club being found guilty of breaching most of the financial rules they were accused of violating.
Among the 115 charges the Premier League filed against City were 14 cases of failing to give accurate details regarding payments to players and managers between 2009-10 and 2017-18.
That span took in Mancini’s three and a half years at the helm, a time in which he lifted the FA Cup in 2011 and delivered City’s first top-flight title in 44 years in 2012.
Mancini, now in charge of Italy, was questioned at a news conference ahead of Monday’s Nations League match against Turkey about the allegations concerning his pay as city manager.
“Found guilty of what?” he said. “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.
“Manchester City has not been found guilty, and the alleged double contract is not my concern. It’s their issue, not mine.”
The German publication Der Spiegel had earlier claimed that City paid a “significant portion” of Mancini’s compensation “by way of a fictitious consultancy contract.”
It claimed that City paid Mancini more for serving as a consultant to the Abu Dhabi club Al Jazira than he received as City manager, not counting bonuses and incentives.
On Friday, it came to light that an independent panel had found City guilty on all but one of the charges the Premier League had brought against them, though penalties have not yet been decided.
The Premier League chose not to comment, while City issued a statement saying the “Premier League process remains ongoing with significant elements to be completed and subject to strict confidentiality.”
It added, “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.”
It is understood that other Premier League clubs were made aware of the decision and have consulted lawyers regarding potential compensation claims.
After a four-year investigation, City were hit with over 100 charges of breaching the Premier League’s financial regulations in February 2023.
The club was sent to an independent commission. A hearing held behind closed doors got under way in September 2024 and lasted roughly 12 weeks.
