Hughes accuses Mancini of secretly stealing his job at Man City

LONDON - Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini’s predecessor Mark Hughes has accused him of secretly plotting to take his job.

Mancini met City’s Arab owners to discuss taking over three weeks before Hughes was axed last December.

“It’s not something that sits comfortably with me. I don’t think I’ve ever done it. There should be respect for people’s positions,” Hughes said.

Former Wales and Blackburn chief Hughes has revived his career at Fulham, and added that he would never go behind another manager’s back.

“If clubs come and ask if you’re interested in the job, I’d always say I wasn’t aware there was a vacancy. I’m not naive enough to think it doesn’t happen. Maybe I understood what went on after the event,” he said.

“People understood there were things going on that were a little bit disrespectful to me. Towards the end when I needed support it was not there. I could have come straight out and criticised everyone but that’s not the way I do things,” Hughes said.

Hughes also said that City’s Arab owners and chief executive Garry Cook do not understand football.

“Sometimes when business people come into football then strategies and business speak flies about because that’s their world. They think they can apply those principles to football. ou can do everything right, make a profit but get beat on aturday,” he said. (ANI)