Renewed speculation about his job at Manchester City annoys Mancini

Roberto Mancini is unhappy at renewed speculation about his job after Txiki Begiristain, Manchester City's director of football, had lunch with the agent of Malaga's coach this week. But City's manager did admit he had no knowledge of why the meeting took place and that the club chairman, Khaldoon al-Mubarak, has given no assurances for next season.

Begiristain was seen with Jesus Martinez, the agent representing Manuel Pellegrini, in Madrid on Monday. However, Martinez also represents the Malaga midfielder Isco, who may be a summer target. "I hope that he had good dinner," Mancini said. "I don't know why they met. You should ask these questions to Txiki not me. It's not important for me."

Asked if it is a concern Mancini said: “In the last six months you (the media)have written everything. You started six or seven months ago with Pep (Guardiola), Mourinho, Pellegrini, Ancelotti, Brendan Rodgers. I have four years left on my contract. I know that I work with serious people, like Khaldoon and Sheikh Mansour (the owner). If there was another manager who won three trophies in two years you would say nothing about this manager. I don’t know why you continue to ask or say these things.”

Begiristain and Ferran Soriano, City's chief executive, are in charge of day-to-day operations. How advanced, then, are discussions regarding next season? "We talk about the future, about the players," Mancini said. "Txiki goes around the world for his job. For this reason I don't have any problem if he goes to a dinner with Pellegrini's manager, or Brendan Rodgers' manager – I think this is not true, but I don't have any problem."

In charge
Asked if Khaldoon has told Mancini he will definitely be in charge next season, he said: "Never. We don't have to talk about this. We don't have any problems about this. We have a good relationship. In two years we have won three trophies and now we have another chance to get another trophy. If in three years I didn't win, okay. But we did a good job until now.

“We have a chance to win (the FA Cup) and are in second position. After, the chairman can take any decision about his manager but at the moment we don’t have any problem. We didn’t have any problem one month ago, two months ago. I am frustrated because I wanted to win a second Premier League and we had a chance. But sometimes you can do mistakes.”

Mancini also hinted that Scott Sinclair, a £6.2 million signing last summer, may leave. "Scott is young (24)and he has good quality but this year was difficult for him," he said. "It is better is if he can have another solution. If he stays here, maybe he can change everything. But I can understand his frustration because he didn't play a lot of games." Of Fernandinho, the Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder, Mancini laughed: "I heard their manager say his price is £50 million. I think that is too much."
Guardian Service