Diego: Mancini ‘a spoilt child’

Carlos Tevez has found an unlikely ally in his ongoing battle with Manchester City after former Argentina coach Diego Maradona accused City coach Roberto Mancini of behaving like a spoilt child in his treatment of the striker.

Tevez is still on City’s books after the club were unable to agree terms on a transfer deal during the January transfer window and is appealing to the Premier League against the £1.2m fine for gross misconduct imposed on him by City.

Now Maradona has called Mancini into question, suggesting his reaction to Tevez’s refusal to play at Bayern Munich last September was over the top.

“I’m sure Carlitos has reasons for his behaviour. Mancini was always a spoilt child. He was treated like a spoilt kid at Sampdoria, at Inter and now it’s the same today at Manchester City.

“I’m not defending Carlitos because he didn’t want to play against Bayern Munich. But Mancini used to be a footballer. He had to show a little tact.

“You can’t ask a star like Carlitos to go onto the field like he did. If you have a star like Carlitos, you have to bring him on earlier in the game or not at all.

“It hurts me when I see what is happening with him at Manchester City as he is a great guy,” he added. “But he is also a great player. Come on, there are no players who are good enough to be idols of both Man United and Man City, and he managed that. So I don’t understand: has he lost his place at City because of a silly fight with the coach? It’s so unfair. There is a great injustice that’s gone on.”

Maradona also backed Aguero, who is his son-in-law, to continue to score the goals to bring City the trophies they want. But he admitted that Aguero’s success comes as a double-edged sword for him, as it also improves Mancini’s coaching record.

“Everybody knew what kind of player Kun Aguero was, so I’m not surprised by the level he’s playing at Manchester City. Kun is playing for City at a superlative level. He is making the difference at a team like Manchester City, in which the cheapest player costs £40m. And today Mancini has a better CV thanks to Kun.”

In an outspoken interview with Argentine station Radio de la Red, Maradona ruled himself out of contention for the England job by saying, “I would never take that job. The English FA can say what they want, they will not fool me. I know exactly why Capello was fired, nothing to do with John Terry.”

He also had a go at Fifa, who did not invite him to their Ballon D’Or ceremony last month: “That didn’t hurt me, if I had to be part of that

family I’d rather be an orphan.” And his long-time rival Pele did not escape harsh words: “You’re a doll on top of a cake, you live for awards and you haven’t worked in 30 years.”