Manuel Pellegrini denies deal to replace Roberto Mancini
Malaga's Manuel Pellegrini has denied he has a deal agreed to replace Roberto Mancini as Manchester City manager.
After losing the FA Cup final to Wigan on Saturday, Mancini criticised City's owners for not quashing reports that a deal with Pellegrini, 59, was done.
But Pellegrini told Malaga's website: "I categorically deny that I am the new Manchester City coach.
"I have an agreement with Malaga not to talk to anyone and nothing has been agreed with any other outfit."
He added: "Nothing has been signed and no agreement reached. I've been fortunate enough, and very proud, that every year the big clubs are interested in me.
"I hope the future of this club will become somewhat clearer in the next few days."
Mancini took over from Mark Hughes in December 2009, leading City to the FA Cup in 2011 and the Premier League title a year later.
City officials met with with Pellegrini's agent, Jesus Martinez, in April. Martinez also represents Malaga midfielder Isco, a reported target for the Blues.
Mancini said he did not know why the meeting had taken place.
Chilean Pellegrini, who has previously had spells in charge of Real Madrid and Villarreal, took charge of Malaga in November 2010.
In his first full season in charge, he guided Malaga to fourth in La Liga and Champions League qualification for the first time.
Malaga reached the last eight of the Champions League, before being knocked out by Dortmund. They are currently sixth in La Liga.
They will not play in European competition next term after being banned by Uefa over unpaid bills.
Mancini at Manchester City
•Premier League: 133 games, 82 wins, 27 draws, 24 losses. Win percentage: 61.7%
•FA Cup: 19 games, 13 wins, three draws, three losses. Win percentage: 68%
•League Cup: Nine games, four wins, one draw, four losses. Win percentage: 44.4%
•Champions League: 12 games, three wins, four draws, five losses. Win percentage: 25%
•Europa League: 16 games, 10 wins, three draws, three losses. Win percentage: 62.5%
•Community Shield: Two games, one win, one loss. Win percentage: 50%
•Overall: 191 games, 113 wins, 38 draws, 40 losses. Win percentage: 59.2%
Manchester City will replace Roberto Mancini with Manuel Pellegrini this week
Pellegrini will meet Etihad bosses on Thursday to finalise details - it's thought that Mancini will get a pay-off capped at one year's wages
Roberto Mancini will be sacked by Manchester City this week - with Manuel Pellegrini coming in to replace him.
Mancini’s three-and-a-half year reign will end with his dismissal - possibly within 48 hours - after the City hierarchy decided the Italian had taken the club as far as he could.
Pellegrini is due to meet the Etihad bosses on Thursday to finalise details of his appointment and Mancini may not be in charge for tomorrow’s game at Reading.
Mancini, who spent yesterday evening (Sunday) having dinner in London with his coaching staff, could last until City’s final game of the season, at home to Norwich on Sunday, but club sources have confirmed he will not go on their two-game post-season tour of the US, with the squad departing a week today.
The City chiefs, have concluded Mancini does not have what it takes to advance the club in Europe and that a change of manager is needed if they are to make a serious assault on the Champions League.
The players are also unhappy at his man-management and the 48-year old will be given his marching orders once a severance package can be agreed.
Saturday’s FA Cup final defeat to Wigan completed a miserable season for City, who will end the campaign empty-handed following their failure to successfully defend their Premier League title.
Mancini will also pay the price for City’s dismal Champions League campaign, in which the deposed champions failed to make it out of the group stage and did not even register a win.
Where's my scarf? The cruel wind of change is blowing around Roberto Mancini
Mike Hewitt
Although Mancini is on £7million a year and is under contract until 2017, it is understood there is a break-clause in his contract that will cap any pay-off at a year’s money.
City chief executive Ferran Soriano and sporting director Txiki Bergiristain have identified 59-year-old Malaga coach Pellegrini as Mancini’s successor and the man to take the club forward.
Pellegrini achieved success with Villarreal, before moving to Real Madrid, where he lasted just one season. But his work at Malaga, in taking them to the Champions League quarter-finals on a limited budget, has opened the door for him at City.
It is understood Pellegrini’s release clause from Malaga is just £2m, enabling City to move for the Chilean with the minimum of fuss and ensure he is in position for the club’s pre-season tour of South Africa and the Far East.
Manchester City set to beat both Liverpool and Arsenal to Spanish playmaker
According to reports, Manchester City will sack manager Roberto Mancini, and replace him with Malaga manager Manuel Pellegrini, but the Chilean coach won’t be the only man to arrive from Malaga this summer.
Reports suggest that midfield star Isco, will snub both Liverpool and Arsenal, in favour of following his manager to the Etihad next season.
The Spanish press are reporting that talks with Isco, tipped to be a future Spanish great, are at an advanced stage, and the 21-year-old could wrap up a stunning transfer as early as next week.
The Spaniard is worth a reported £27million, so not only does he have a huge reputation, his transfer fee isn’t exactly small, and with a host of big name midfielders already at the club, Isco may not be guaranteed to start every game.
With City ending the season without silverware, the board will move to appoint Pellegrini to takeover from Mancini, with money available so that the Chilean manager will be able to put his own stamp on the squad.
So, with that in mind, Isco may not be the only big name to join up with City this summer
City face another tough draw
Manchester City's dismal performance in the Champions League is set to cost them dear in the draw for next season's group stage.
Roberto Mancini failed to win a single match in the competition, finishing bottom of a tough group featuring Ajax, Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid, meaning City were unable to improve their UEFA coefficient score. They are now highly likely to drop from the second pot of seeds to the third pot.
City could face a difficult draw for the third season running with Barcelona or Bayern Munich from pot one and Juventus, AC Milan or Paris Saint-Germain from pot two being possible opponents.
City's score of 10.228 this season ranks them 45th and is lower than that achieved by Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, Metalist Kharkiv and Genk. Birmingham City, playing in the Europa League as a Championship club, almost matched City's score last season with 10.050. Just one win in the Champions League group stage would almost certainly have secured a place in pot two.
And if City do not perform in Europe next season their plight will only get worse in 2014-15. UEFA rankings are based on a five-year period, and in 12 months' time City will lose their score of 20.000 from 2008-09 when they lost to Hamburg in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup. They must at least equal that next season just to stay keep the same total.
Of the 21 teams ranked higher than City, 14 are guaranteed a place in the Champions League next season. Of the other seven clubs, five can still qualify and four are currently in a Champions League place.
Valencia are fourth in La Liga but Real Sociedad (ranked lower than City) can overtake them on Monday night when they play their game in hand against Granada. Lyon lost at home to PSG on Sunday night but have a three-point cushion in a Champions League place, Milan have a two-point lead over Fiorentina and Schalke are a point in front of Freiburg (the two sides meet in the final game on Saturday).
Arsenal are the only club not currently in a Champions League place but they can move back into fourth by winning their extra match against Wigan on Tuesday.
City have to hope four of those five sides fail to make it into the Champions League proper - either via the league or losing in August's play-off round (which they must all play in) - or they will be in the third pot. To complicate matters further, if Borussia Dortmund (ranked 31st) win the Champions League they are automatically the number one seeds, which will lift them from pot three to pot one and push all teams above them down a position.
PSG, Juventus and Zenit St Petersburg are the first three clubs in line to move up to the second pot of seeds should any of the higher ranked clubs fail to qualify, followed by City. Zenit must play a qualifying round.
Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Read Madrid, Chelsea, Manchester United and FC Porto will be top seeds in the draw, joined by Arsenal if they qualify and Benfica. If Arsenal fail to qualify then either Valencia (if qualified) or Atletico Madrid will move into the top pot.
Of the teams able to qualify for the Champions League, the order of coefficient ranking is as follows:
• Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Read Madrid, Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal, FC Porto, Benfica
• Valencia, Atletico Madrid, Lyon, Shakhtar Donetsk, AC Milan, Schalke, Marseille, CSKA Moscow
• Paris Saint Germain, Juventus, Zenit St Petersburg, Manchester City
The only two teams ranked higher than City who cannot qualify for the Champions League are Inter Milan (7th) and Liverpool (17th).
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