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Mancini in another red card controversy

Comment: 0 January 17th, 2012 by: admin

MANCHESTER United attacker Wayne Rooney has reignited his feud with Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini via Twitter on Monday.

Following City’s 1-0 win against Wigan Athletic, Rooney commented on Mancini’s apparent attempt to get Maynor Figueroa sent off after handling the ball by waving an imaginary card at referee Martin Atkinson.

Clearly still brushing on their incident when Mancini argued the English striker got Vincent Kompany red-carded, Rooney tweeted: “Was manchini [sic] asking for a red card????”

Mancini, however, did not find anything wrong with his reactions.

The Italian manager, who recently had an altercation with Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard regarding a two-footed tackle, claimed that the reaction was no out of the ordinary.

“I did it because Wayne Rooney did it,” said Mancini. “It’s normal with a chance like that to do it.”

He also claimed that Rooney had more influence than he did. “I am on the bench. When you are near to the referee you can have more of an influence. I am on the bench and the referee cannot see me.”

When asked to comment on the Italian’s reactions, Wigan Athletic manager Roberto Martinez claimed that Mancini should not have let his emotions get the best of him.

“I’ve been here long enough to understand that trying to influence the referee is not accepted in the British game,” he said. “When a player tries to simulate or buy a decision from the referee that is regarded as cheating. I understand that in Italy, France and Spain it is acceptable to try and get a decision from the referee, but it is different here.”

“I don’t think it’s a goalscoring opportunity. James McCarthy was coming back and Maynor wasn’t even in his own half. I don’t think it’s a red card,” he continued.

In the end, Mancini was more focused on the end result rather than the controversy.

“At this moment it is important to take three points. This month it is important to take maximum points from every game,” he claimed.

City are currently three points clear of United in the Premier League.

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