LONDON: Manchester City’s dismal exit from European competition is not an embarrassment and could boost the big-spending club’s defense of the Premier League title, according to manager Roberto Mancini.
City’s haul of just three points from six games was the worst performance by an English club in the Champions League group stage with Mancini’s men finishing bottom of Group D and failing to qualify for the Europa League as well.
Newspaper headlines on Wednesday spoke of City as “The Worst Ever” and dubbed them “320 million pound ($515.41 million)flops.”
Mancini saw a silver lining in Tuesday’s 1-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund, however.
“Clearly this can help us win the Premier League because we don’t play in the Europa League,” he told reporters. “But getting into it was our target. We wanted to win.”
City are currently second in the Premier League, three points behind Manchester United and seven clear of third-placed Chelsea, the European champions who are in danger of going out of the Champions League on Wednesday.
United, who travel to City for a league derby at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, have already secured first place in Champions League Group H.
Had City qualified for Europe’s second tier competition, which awaits the third-placed clubs after the Champions League group stages, they could have faced up to nine further European matches on top of domestic fixtures.
“I’m not embarrassed about where we have finished or the points tally,” said Mancini of City’s failed European campaign and second successive exit at the group stage.
“There could be embarrassment if we had not played with 100 percent effort. You can still play 100 percent and lose, and that is what happened.”
Mancini recognized that City needed to regain their sharpness in front of goal after scoring just seven times in six group games.
“At the moment we are not scoring goals, certainly not like we were last season. We are creating chances but we are not scoring,” he said.
“That is a big problem that we need to work at.”
Man City’s European exit a title boost, says Mancini
Man City’s European exit a title boost, says Mancini
Patrick Habirora headlines PFL Brussels at Ing Arena in May
- PFL returns on May 23 with ‘The Belgian Bomber’ facing MMA legend Benson ‘Smooth’ Henderson
NEW YORK: The Professional Fighters League returns to the ING Arena on Saturday, May 23, for PFL Brussels, with Belgium’s No. 10-ranked welterweight Patrick “The Belgian Bomber” Habirora (8-0) facing former UFC champion Benson “Smooth” Henderson (30-12).
Habirora has seven victories coming by way of KO or TKO. He silenced doubters last December at PFL Lyon against his toughest test to date, Kevin Jousset.
A thunderous first-round knockout followed by relentless ground-and-pound sent the Lyon crowd into a frenzy and left many wondering how far he can go in MMA.
A former WEC and UFC champion, “Smooth” is a 20-year veteran and remains one of the most accomplished athletes of his era. Henderson has beaten Nate Diaz, Frankie Edgar (twice), and Jorge Masvidal.
Recently sharpening his tools across grappling, karate, wrestling and boxing, Henderson now returns to MMA determined to prove his championship pedigree.
Upcoming PFL Schedule:
- Friday, March 20: PFL Madrid, Palacio Vistalegre, Madrid, Spain.
- Saturday, March 28: PFL Pittsburgh, UPMC Events Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
- Saturday, April 11: PFL Chicago, Wintrust Arena, Chicago, Illinois.
- Thursday, April 16: PFL Belfast, SSE Arena Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
- Saturday, May 2: PFL Sioux Falls, Sanford Pentagon: Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
- Saturday, May 23: PFL Brussels, ING Arena, Brussels, Belgium.
