City boss hoping to end club's wait for silverware
Roberto Mancini insists the Europa League is a 'great competition' and is hoping to lead Manchester City to the final.
City face Dynamo Kiev in the first leg of their last-16 tie on Thursday and are currently the favourites to win the Europa League.
Though the tournament is often given secondary status due to the magnitude of the Champions League, Mancini believes there is plenty of interest in the competition.
Dynamo stepped down from the Champions League after losing to Ajax in the play-offs and Mancini said: "The Europa League is a great competition.
"There are big teams in it. You can get to the quarter-finals and meet an important team.
"There are a lot of well-known sides in the competition. All the teams we can play usually play in the Champions League. It is a little Champions League. All the teams are big ones."
City then face Reading in the FA Cup quarter-finals at the weekend and Mancini is hoping he can end the club's 35-year wait for a major piece of silverware.
He added: "We will try to reach the final if it is possible, both in the Europa League and the FA Cup. It depends on our players recovering their strength."
David Silva is aware it will be a tough test for City at the Valeriy Lobanovskiy Stadium after being knocked out of the 2008/09 Uefa Cup by Kiev while at former club Valencia.
Silva recalled: "It's a difficult place to go to. We got a 1-1 draw so we didn't do too badly.
"They're a difficult team and at their stadium it's very tough but we're excited about our chances of going through."
Keegan 'would love' City success
Kevin Keegan is convinced Manchester City will win silverware this season - and says he would 'love it, just love it' if they did.
City face a crucial week in their quest to end a 35-year trophy drought.
They travel to Ukraine on Wednesday ahead of the Europa League last 16 first leg meeting with Dynamo Kiev on Thursday.
Then on Sunday Roberto Mancini's side have a home FA Cup quarter-final tie against Reading.
Former City boss Keegan said: "I think they will win something this year, it might be the FA Cup, it might be the Europa League.
"The sooner you get a trophy, the quicker the pressure comes off. A lot of money is being spent, so you must win things.
"It doesn't make your job any easier just because someone gives you a lorry load of money. It just means you have a chance of winning something. The pressure is greater because of that.
"Once you win one thing, others come along. The first cup is like a magnet, it seems to attract all the other trophies.
"I am delighted for them. Of course you are going to get people who are envious and don't like the fact that a lot of money is being paid out. But that is the way Chelsea did it.
"While it would take others three or four years to do, City can manage it in two or three because of their finances."
Keegan is not surprised Roberto Mancini's side have had some indifferent results.
He said: "Even this year there has still been a bit of typical City. Just when you think they will win the next game and go top for a while, they lose it.
"But they have come a long way in a short time. It is not long since they were at Maine Road and fell into League One.
"Self-belief takes time. You can't just throw 20 players together, which, apart from three or four, is what they have done. You have to give them a little bit of time to gel.
"That is why they have lost and drawn games they should have won. They have slipped up because of that."
As one of npower's football experts in the company's "What's Your Goal?" initiative, Keegan is challenging youngsters to seek out openings in the huge industry that has been built around the game.
He added: "You want to make kids aware that even if you aren't David Beckham there are so many opportunities.
"Too many kids don't think about what they are going to do. We are asking them to think about football. Wake up and have a look.
"At Newcastle I had a squad of 20 to pick from and 22 staff to help me. There is a team behind the team.
"Before the match starts the stadium sometimes has well over a thousand people in there, all working."
United and City go head-to-head for £15million samba star
Manchester United target Douglas Costa linked with Eastlands switch
The 20-year-old Brazilian midfielder is regarded as a rising star in Ukraine Shakhtar Donetsk playmaker Douglas Costa is a transfer target for Manchester City reports talkSPORT.
The 20-year-old Brazilian midfielder is regarded as a rising star in Ukraine, and has made a significant impact for Shakhtar in this season’s UEFA Champions League.
Having signed from his native side Gremio for £5m in January 2010, manager Mircea Lucescu has already admitted he may have to sell his star player with a number of top European clubs circling.
Douglas doesn’t appear to have been unsettled by continued speculation linking him with a move away, but that doesn’t guarantee the player hasn’t had his head turned by potential suitors, with the Citizens bitter Barclays Premier League rivals Manchester United also reportedly interested in securing the player’s services.
Sir Alex Ferguson had shown an interest in bringing the player to Old Trafford following the long-term injury to Antonio Valencia, and the Red Devils could yet pursue the player if the Ecuadorian does not regain his previous good form.
Douglas’ European performances have been particularly eye-catching and he once again served notice of his talents with a wonderful goal against Roma at the Stadio Olimpico before following it up with an assist as Shakhtar clocked up a surprise 3-2 win in their Champions League last-16 first leg win.
Douglas has yet to be called up to the senior Brazil side but that could soon change should he secure a move to a higher profile league.
With Shakhtar bankrolled by billionaire businessman Rinat Akhmetov, the only sticking point could be the negotiation of a transfer fee with Manchester United unlikely to be willing to pay in excess of £15million.
That could pave the way for Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini to proceed with primary talks on the basis that Eastlands owner Sheikh Mansour will be more willing to part with an over-inflated transfer fee.
Tevez ready to make £40m Inter Milan move this summer
Carlos Tevez is set for a summer move to Inter Milan, with agent Kia Joorabchian the driving force behind the move.
Inter president Massimo Moratti has already met with the player's representative, according to sources in Italy, about the possibility of a £40m move.
The Argentinian striker has already played for five clubs in his career and the Manchester City captain looks set for a sixth, after hearing good reports about the Serie A side from international team-mate Diego Milito.
Tevez, 27, handed a transfer request into City in the summer but a move was blocked and he has publicly stated that he has suffered with homesickness while in England. Talkshyte
PSG consider making £4m summer offer for City's Wright-Phillips
Paris Saint-Germain are interested in Manchester City’s Shaun Wright-Phillips.
The winger is out of contract in the summer of 2012 and PSG are weighing up a £4million offer.
The 29-year-old was wanted on loan by Fulham and Bolton but City pulled the plug when Adam Johnson picked up an ankle injury. Mail
'Unsettled' Zlatan Ibrahimovic 'to be Chelsea and Man City transfer target'
Zlatan Ibrahimovic could be ready to listen to offers from elsewhere, including former suitors Chelsea and Manchester City, after his agent said the striker has had a change of heart since announcing he would end his career at AC Milan.
AC Milan forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic looks set for another summer of speculation in 2011 (EPA)
Last week, the Swedish international vowed to finish his career at the San Siro - despite only being at the club on a loan deal from Barcelona until the end of this season.
However, his agent Mino Raiola has now suggested the 29-year-old could complete a remarkable U-turn and decide to leave Milan.
Although Raiola has also hinted the Italian club could take up their option to buy Ibrahimovic this summer - saying the forward would reconsider his options in the summer of 2012, a year after he is due to return to Barcelona unless Milan fork out €24million for him.
'Zlatan might not end his career at AC Milan,' Raiola told Italian TV channel 7 Gold.
'We will decide everything in 2012 according to the results achieved here.'
Manchester City were linked with a mega-money move to sign Ibrahimovic last summer, with some reports suggesting they would offer him up to £500,000 a week to play at Eastlands.
Chelsea, too, have been mentioned as a possible destination for the talented hitman.
Although the Blues would need to offload one of their existing strikeforce - most likely to be veteran Didier Drogba or bit-part player Salomon Kalou - in order to accommodate another forward after the arrival of Fernando Torres in January.
Raiola has insisted all options remain open to Ibrahimovic, adding: 'He is just as likely to return to Barcelona and see out the remainder of his five-year deal there too.'
Ibrahimovic was involved in the second most-valuable transfer in football history in 2009 when he joined Barca from Inter Milan.
The Catalan giants offered Samuel Eto'o, valued at €20m, in part-exchange for the player along with a transfer fee of €46m.
Only Cristiano Ronaldo's £80m move from Manchester United to Real Madrid was worth more.
Away Fans And Their Annoying Chants
Kyle sent Vital Manchester City the following rant:
I don't know if many of you Blues have noticed but most of the away fans who visit Eastlands have started to pick up rather annoying chants and to be honest I've just about had enough of them.
Now don't take this the wrong way but if a chant was backed up by a solid fact then I can handle it - for example. United and the '35 years' chant! But the one that really, really gets on my nerves is 'Where were you when you were s***?' Now that chant really gets up my nose and when anybody sings it, well I have to say in my experience the worst team for it are Newcastle!
Last season when Newcastle was in the Championship I read an article in a very respectable broadsheet paper, the name of which escapes me. In that article the journo said that Geordie fans should look at us Blues as an example for how to support a team outside the Premier League! This was due to the fact that when the Barcodes were in the second tier their average attendance dropped by 24-28% whereas when we went down to the Old Division Two our average attendance only dropped by 4-6%!
Reading fans’ fury over FA Cup ticket ‘shambles’
Angry Royals fans have hit out at the club for failing to request the maximum allocation of tickets for this weekend’s FA Cup quarter-final at Manchester City.
Reading knocked out Premier League Everton 1-0 in the last round to secure a place against big-spending City, whose squad includes world class players like Carlos Tevez, on Sunday.
It is only the third time in Reading’s history that the club has reached this stage of the famous competition.
Fans have condemned the club for taking just 2,800 tickets out of a maximum 15 per cent of the 47,726 capacity of the City of Manchester Stadium – the equivalent of 7,100 tickets – meaning many supporters will miss out.
Season ticket holder Brian Davis said: “Reading FC have made a complete shambles of the ticketing allocation for the Man City game. Did they really think 2,800 would be a sensible guesstimate?
“Judging by the response from fans this was nowhere near enough.”
Supporter Andy Charman added: “Reading FC have rewarded their fans’ loyalty by failing to request sufficient tickets, ensuring they won’t be able to see only our third appearance ever in an FA Cup quarter-final.
“Those responsible for this fiasco need to be brought to book, named and shamed.”
Other fans vented their frustration on Twitter.
One read: “Still in shock Reading have 2,800 instead of full FA Cup allocation what a p*** take,” while another wrote, “Whatever excuses they try and make Reading FC have made a complete b****-up of Man City tickets.”
Paula Martin, chairwoman of Supporters Trust at Reading (STAR), said: “The club has seriously underestimated demand for tickets on this occasion which is a real shame.
“In a perfect world it would be great if the club would take the lot but in reality there are financial ramifications of doing that and therefore unfortunately some supporters will miss out.”
Reading FC spokesman Craig Morimer-Zhika explained that the club had to make a decision on the allocation of tickets within two days after the draw prior to the Everton game and Manchester City’s previous round win over Aston Villa.
He added this was also before the club had made a decision to provide free coach travel which can affect demand and therefore an allocation of 2,800 was based on the number of fans that had followed the team in the past.
Once travel arrangement were confirmed the club requested more tickets for adjacent areas but these had since been purchased by City fans while other parts of the stadium were dismissed on safety grounds.
Mr Mortimer-Zhika said: “Sunday will be our biggest away attendance in two years.
“That is great support from our fans, and at the same time we fully understand it is very frustrating for anyone who missed out – the club feel exactly the same way.
“Nobody benefits when a supporter misses out on the opportunity to be at a game, we want as many of our supporters with us as possible, which is precisely why we have paid for free coaches for this match.”
The game will be shown live on ESPN, kick off at 4.45pm
Ignorance won't be bliss! FIFA tell Toure he should have had diet pill checked by doctors
Kolo Toure’s hopes of escaping a ban have receded after FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke said ignorance will not be accepted as an excuse for failing a drugs test.
Toure was pictured training for the first time on Tuesday at Manchester City's Carrington complex joining the squad for their preparations ahead of Thursday's Europa League last-16 tie against Dynamo Kiev in the Ukraine.
Back in action: Toure was pictured training for the first time on Tuesday since his failed drugs test
The Manchester City defender is running out of time to inform the FA if he wants his B sample analysed after testing positive for a banned substance.
Toure believes the banned substance was contained in a diet pill but Valcke insisted he should have checked with the club’s staff before taking it.
Something to talk about: Toure chats to team-mate Mario Balotelli (L) as brother Yaya walks on
He said: ‘When you know you are permanently under threat of doping control, there are enough doctors in this team to make sure you ask them to check if this pill is on the list.’
Despite his current suspension, City officials said at the weekend that they have been informed there is no reason for Toure not to attend training after manager Roberto Mancini made it clear the Ivorian would be welcome to participate.
Waiting game: Toure is yet to discover his fate over a likely drugs ban
Toure's attendance at Eastlands on Saturday for City's win over Wigan was seen as a good sign at a time when the player's mental state has been described as 'not good' by Mancini.
He ain't heavy, he's my brother: Kolo Toure, who claimed he took his wife's diet pills which resulted in a failed drugs test, runs alongside his brother Yaya
'It is a bad moment for him,' the City boss said.
'Kolo is a fantastic man and a fantastic player. He doesn't deserve to have this problem.'
WAG OF THE DAY
OTHER BOLLOX
Sunderland and England Under-21 midfielder Jordan Henderson will reject overtures from Chelsea and Manchester United this summer after expressing a desire to stay with the Black Cats. Daily Mail
Arsenal are weighing up a double swoop for Everton duo Jack Rodwell and Sylvain Distin - the latter seen as a possible solution to the Gunners' widely perceived weakness in central defence. Metro
CSKA Moscow are determined to keep hold of Japan international midfielder Keisuke Honda unless any potential buyers, who are said to include Arsenal and Liverpool, can match their £12m valuation. talkSPORT
West Ham's rookie goalkeeper Marek Stech is a £2m target for Italian side Napoli. Daily Mail
Aston Villa face competition from Villarreal and Zenit St Petersburg as they hunt the signature of Basel midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri. talkSPORT
The leg injury Manchester United's Nani sustained in a tackle by Liverpool's Jamie Carragher on Sunday could end the Portuguese winger's season because of the risk of infection. Metro
However, fellow United winger, Antonio Valencia, who broke his ankle in the Champions League tie against Rangers in September, is on the comeback trail after playing in a specially arranged training game on Monday. the Sun
Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov has declared Tottenham winger Gareth Bale is "one of the best players in the world" ahead of the second leg of Spurs' Champions League last-16 tie against AC Milan on Wednesday. the Sun
The Football Association will seek clarification from Fifa on the rules over retrospective disciplinary action. It comes in the wake of the controversy over Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney, who appeared to elbow Wigan midfielder James McCarthy in last month's match. Daily Mail
The Football Association of Ireland would consider Stoke's Jermaine Pennant for the Republic of Ireland senior squad if the winger approached it. Pennant, who has represented England at under-21 level, believes he qualifies for Gionvanni Trapattoni's side through his grandfather. the Independent
Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell has suggested that manager Neil Lennon's confrontation with Rangers counterpart Ally McCoist in the Old Firm match on 2 March was partly caused by the pressure his club's boss has to work under. (Daily Record)
Tottenham have signed a new £50m five-year kit deal with American company Under Armour. Daily Mirror
Midfielder Stewart Downing has revealed how he spends his Aston Villa wages as part of the ongoing trial of his former agent. A home cinema costing £45,000 is perhaps the most extravagant of a relatively modest set of home improvements. the Guardian
England rugby union boss Martin Johnson has revealed that Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger helped him define his own management style. Daily Star
Liverpool striker Andy Carroll paid £900 for a Newcastle shirt signed by former team-mate Kevin Nolan at a charity dinner before handing it over to a fan he outbid. the Sun
Former Newcastle, Tottenham and Rangers playmaker Paul Gascoigne has revealed that he phoned Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson to ask for a move to Old Trafford when he left Lazio in 1995. Daily Express
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