Former Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has not given up hope on his old club retaining their Premier League title this season, claiming they are the “best team in the league”.
Mancini spent four years at the Etihad and won the FA Cup and Premier League title during his tenure before being sacked in 2013 after failing to claim any major silverware in his final season.
It makes the 50-year-old Italian well aware of the pressures now facing current incumbent Manuel Pellegrini, who is facing an uncertain future with his team staring at a trophy-less campaign.
In an interview with CNN, Mancini stopped short of offering his sympathy for Pellegrini and branded the Chilean “lucky” to have such riches available to him in his squad.
“I think that Pellegrini was really lucky because he got this team that is a strong team and he had the chance to put inside other good players and he improved his team,” Mancini said.
“But I think Manchester City can win a title every year; I think that City have a chance and they should, they must, try to win a title every year.”
Despite trailing Chelsea by six points having played a game more, the Italian believes City can still win the title in dramatic fashion, rekindling images of Sergio Aguero’s late winner that handed Mancini’s men their first Premier League title.
“It’s my opinion that City is the best team in the Premier League, even though now it’s in the second position,” Mancini said.
“I think that City is the best team and in the Premier League, everything can happen until the last game. We won the Premier League in the last minute and I think that they have, they should think that they have a chance to win this title.”
Following his spell in charge at City, Mancini moved to Galatasary for a season, winning the Turkish Cup, before moving back to his old club Inter Milan.
His affection for the struggling blue and black half of Milan is unwavering, and it seems his love for City and their supporters is equally strong.
“I had a fantastic moment in England,” Mancini added. “We won a Premier League after many years. I have all City supporters in my heart. I have all that moment in my heart because it was an incredible moment and it’s impossible to forget this.
“Maybe I miss the Premier League because I worked there for four years and I built the team that now is in second position because I think that they play the same players and I’m very proud of this.”
