Roberto Mancini not afraid despite Champs League exit

MANCHESTER - Reuters

Manchester City coach Mancini says he is not afraid of losing his job. AFP photo

If Manchester City’s Abu Dhabi owners were as ruthless as Chelsea’s Russian billionaire boss Roman Abramovich, then City coach Roberto Mancini would already be out a job following his side’s elimination from the Champions League.

Manchester City’s exit from the Champions League at the group stage for the second season in a row represents poor return for the hundreds of millions of pounds invested in the club since Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan bought it, and could be regarded as a far greater failure than Chelsea’s.

Mancini, who guided City to their first English league title for 44 years last May, has failed to win a Champions League match this season, and with three draws, City will either finish bottom or third in the group.

Mancini told reporters after the match that despite their elimination he was not worried about losing his job.

“No, why, why? I don’t fear this,” he said. “If we think we can win the Champions League after two years we are crazy.”

Last season, City won three Champions League group matches and still went out at the first stage and so it has gone backwards this season.