Manchester City boss Mancini praises Sheikh Mansour

posted on 20/05/2012: 761 views

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini was quick to credit the support of owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan and chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak for the club's staggering success in the past 20 months.

Qualification for the Champions League and success in last season's FA Cup Final, the club's first piece of silverware since the 1976 League Cup, paved the way for the heart-stopping title success last weekend, when Manchester City won the Premier League with virtually the last kick of the campaign.

Such triumphs are the net result of considerable investment, with a total expenditure now around US$1 billion, but Mancini stressed that the "support” didn't simply come via the chequebook.

"They always supported the team, even in the bad moments,” Mancini told Sky News Arabia during a trip to Abu Dhabi.

"We won this title also for this reason. In difficult moments like after Arsenal, where we were eight points behind [Manchester United], the club and Khaldoon supported me and all the team."

Khaldoon al-Mubarak confirmed to Sport360° that Sheikh Mansour watched every single minute of City's league season. He was quick to echo Mancini's assessment.

"The commitment he has given this club, the investment he has made, the prudent approach he has taken in guiding us through this journey… He really deserves this,” he said. – Sport 360°

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