Top Stories

Monday Ticker: Mancini sacked by Man City; Crystal Palace book place in playoff final; and more

RobertoMancini1-WiganFACup (Getty)

By DAN KARELL

One year to the day after guiding Manchester City to their first Premier League title in 44 years, Roberto Mancini’s was sacked late Monday night in England.

The club released a statement on their website at 10:22pm local time which said that they have relieved Mancini of his duties because he did not achieve any of their goals that were set at the start of the season, with the exception of qualification for next year’s Champions League.

“I would like to personally and publicly thank him for his dedication to the progress that he has overseen and for his support and continued friendship,” club chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said in the statement.

Mancini took over the club on December 19, 2009, replacing Mark Hughes as manager. During his three and a half years at the Etihad Stadium, the Italian won the FA Cup, Premier League, and Community Shield, as well as racking up 113 wins in 191 matches.

He’ll also be remembered for his off the field problems with Mario Balotelli and Carlos Tevez, as well as his inability to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League. Mancini’s last game as Manchester City boss was in a 1-0 defeat in the FA Cup Final to Wigan Athletic last Saturday.

Assistant coach Brian Kidd has been tapped to be the caretaker manager for the final two matches of the season and the post-season tour in the U.S.

Here are some more stories to get catch you up around the world:

CRYSTAL PALACE DEFEAT BRIGHTON FOR PLACE IN PLAYOFF FINAL

With a place in the Championship playoff final at Wembley Stadium on the line, 20-year-old Wilfried Zaha stepped up for his side when it mattered.

Zaha scored twice in the second half for Crystal Palace as they took down key rivals Brighton and Hove Albion, 2-0, in Brighton on Monday night, setting up a final between Palace and Watford.

The on-loan midfielder who will join Manchester United this summer sent in a diving header from just a few yards out in the 69th minute to take a pivotal one goal lead as well as an advantage on away goals. Zaha then put the tie away when he scored his second in the 89th minute, turning and shooting with his left foot into the roof of the net past the Albion goalkeeper.

The win sets up what will be a thrilling final match at Wembley Stadium on May 27 against Watford to the north of London. Palace last played in the Premier League in 2004-2005, while Watford were last in England’s top division in 2006-2007.

WILSHERE TO UNDERGO SURGERY, MISS END OF SEASON

Arsenal have been dealt a blow as they continue their challenge for fourth place and a spot in next season’s Champions League.

The club announced on Monday night that midfielder Jack Wilshere will undergo right ankle surgery and is going to be shut down for the rest of the Premier League season. The injury also rules out Wilshere for the upcoming England national team friendlies against the Republic of Ireland and Brazil next month.

Manager Arsene Wenger made clear through a statement that the surgery is minor in it’s scope, though Wilshere just came back last August from 14 months away from the field due to injury. However the club does expect Wilshere back and ready to take part in his first full preseason since 2010.

Wilshere has made 23 Premier League appearances this season, but since suffering another ankle injury in early February, this time to the left foot, he has only played 90 minutes on two occasions.

PSG TITLE PARADE CUT SHORT BY FAN VIOLENCE

On Monday afternoon in three European cities, title parades were being held. Parades in Manchester and Barcelona went off without a hitch, but celebrations in Paris didn’t go as planned.

Celebrating Paris Saint-Germain’s first Ligue 1 title in 19 years, thousands of fans filled the streets, especially around the Place du Trocadero along the River Seine, where the team gathered to make speeches and hold the championship trophy aloft. Spectators dressed in PSG colors and jerseys reportedly climbed on loose scaffolding, forcing riot police to shoot tear gas to get them down.

Eventually the parade was halted and the players cruise in the river, which would take place after the ceremony at Place du Trocadero was cancelled. (UPDATE: PSG have released a statement on Monday’s incidents.)

——

What do you make of these reports? Agree with the Mancini sacking? Think he should have been given another season? Do you see Palace returning to the Premier League? What do you make of the Wilshere injury news?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Yes, because when anyone climbs something to get a better look at something they enjoy, I always shoot tear gas at them. heck, they FORCED me too!

    Reply
  2. Mancini has been very successful, as a City fan since the 1980’s, they were a victim of their own hype. Everyone talks about attacking football, but if they wont the champions league, nobody would care

    Reply
  3. I thought he was a terrible coach. Mancini had no tactical acumen whatsoever. Last year, his only move was to take off an attacking midfielder and have Toure slam forward. That only worked because of how good Toure is. Other than that, he had nothing.

    He also publicly blamed his players way too much.

    Reply
    • Told me all I needed to know that to win the title last year he had to reverse his public stands on Tevez and Balotelli, to barely pip ManU at the line.

      But, basically, he’s being paid to deliver silverware from an expensive lineup. They’re not paying for a solid Big Club. They’re paying to win.

      Reply
    • Especially since they have the BEST…..NAME……EVER. Just ahead of Nottingham Forest and Sheffield Wednesday, of course.

      Reply
  4. Hopefully the new City manager added some actual style. People moan and groan about ticky-tak football but City play some of the most boring big club football I’ve ever seen.

    So tired of the defensive nature of these elite/uber-wealthy clubs.

    Reply
  5. Hah, I work right next to Trocadero, and was supposed to meet someone for coffee there this afternoon, not knowing about the PSG celebration. It was indeed rowdy, violent mess. Police in riot gear and carrying crazy looking pepper-spray guns yelled later at me to get away from my bus stop, as they formed a line to approach some people lighting fireworks in the middle of the intersection I was waiting at. Good times.

    Reply
  6. is that how they treat a man who gave them a PL title and FA Cup trophy. Man City was nothing before him

    Reply
    • Cit-eh was nothing before the sheikh poured money into the roster. Mancini was not the reason for their turn-around.

      I could have coached that team to a title.

      Reply
      • Child Please… No way you could handle super egos Balotelli and Tevez and finish top four.

      • I guess I should be honest here, Dinho. I could have coached Man City not only to the PL title, but to victory against Wigan in the Cup final and, at the very least, to the semi-finals of the Champions League. Mancini is not a good coach and truly should have been axed 18 months ago after Tevez refused to warm up in the Champions League game at FC Bayern and for his failure to handle Balotelli. I look forward to Pelligrini taking over this team and think he will be capable of handling the egos and playing exciting soccer.

    • But City did just lose the FA Cup to Wigan. Had they won, I’m confident Mancini would be at the Etihad next season.

      Reply
      • was this sarcasm? They were embara$$ed in champion’s league and blown away in the prem.

        mancini was going no matter what.

      • I have to agree. On paper they have more talent then United and are deeper. Yet didn’t even sniff the title. Plus their champions league form was just awful. Not saying they need the money but it couldn’t hurt to make more. Plus losing to Wigan no matter where or why is unacceptable.

      • If you have any doubts read Zaboleta’s comments about Mancini’s future from a few day’s ago. The players were over it, time to go.

Leave a Comment