MANCHESTER // Roberto Mancini has shrugged off talk about his future after suggestions that the appointment of Txiki Begiristain as Manchester City's director of football could lead to Pep Guardiola replacing the Italian as manager at Etihad Stadium.
After leading City to their first league title in 44 years, Mancini was rewarded with a five-year contract but City's erratic Champions League form, coupled with Begiristain's arrival and the availability of Guardiola has brought renewed speculation about the 47-year-old Italian's position.
But Mancini, noting that Guardiola is spending a sabbatical in the United States, said Hurricane Sandy should be a greater concern to the Spaniard. "He is in New York, his problem is the typhoon," said the City manager.
He believes he can strike up an excellent working relationship with Begiristain and Ferran Soriano, the chief executive and another former Barcelona employee, saying: "I have my job, Txiki has his job and Ferran has his job. Together I think we can we work very well."
Mancini believes he will continue to have an input in transfers, believing that Begiristain has the same duties Brian Marwood performed before the football administrator was put in charge of the club's academy.
"He was sporting director and I think Txiki will do the same job," he said. "I don't want to talk with other teams to buy players," he said.
"Like every sporting director, he will talk with me and with the players before we buy players, like last year, like every year."
Mancini was reported to have agreed to join Monaco in the summer, only to opt to stay at City after winning the Premier League.
"This is my future," he said. "I signed a contract for the next five years because I believe in this squad, because I can work with serious people like Ferran and the chairman. To work with people like that is fantastic."
City welcome back Javi Garcia and Pablo Zabaleta from injury for today's game with West Ham United, and Mancini said they received a further boost with the news that Micah Richards will return sooner than expected.
The England international was carried off against Swansea last week with a knee injury that it was thought would sidelined him for up to four months.
However, Mancini said: "One month, maximum. He didn't do his meniscus. He only had two stitches in his knee. So it is good for us."
David Silva, who suffered a hamstring injury playing for Spain against France, is still missing and will miss Tuesday's crucial Champions League clash with Ajax.
Mancini blamed the Spaniard's heavy workload and said he could return against Tottenham next Sunday.
He added: "Maybe for Tottenham, to play an hour. Silva's problem is that for three years he plays every three days, and when he should take a rest he goes with the national team to Panama or Venezuela."
sports@thenational.ae
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Episode list:
Ep1: A recovery like no other- the unevenness of the economic recovery
Ep2: PCR and jobs - the future of work - new trends and challenges
Ep3: The recovery and global trade disruptions - globalisation post-pandemic
Ep4: Inflation- services and goods - debt risks
Ep5: Travel and tourism
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Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
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Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
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Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
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On sale: now
More on Palestine-Israeli relations
Tips from the expert
Dobromir Radichkov, chief data officer at dubizzle and Bayut, offers a few tips for UAE residents looking to earn some cash from pre-loved items.
- Sellers should focus on providing high-quality used goods at attractive prices to buyers.
- It’s important to use clear and appealing photos, with catchy titles and detailed descriptions to capture the attention of prospective buyers.
- Try to advertise a realistic price to attract buyers looking for good deals, especially in the current environment where consumers are significantly more price-sensitive.
- Be creative and look around your home for valuable items that you no longer need but might be useful to others.
