MIcah Richards Aston Villa
Micah Richards has revealed Roberto Mancini ‘hated’ him when the Italian was first appointed as Manchester City boss. Mancini remains a hugely popular figure among fans after leading the Blues to their first Premier League title in 2012 thanks to Sergio Aguero’s dramatic late goal on the final day of the season, also adding the FA Cup during his four-year tenure in Manchester. Richards played under the now-manager of Italian national team throughout his whole time in charge of a City and the retired defender has offered a unique insight into his relationship with his former boss.
Micah Richards said: “We had a great bond! He hated me at the start, but in the end, he adored me. I just think he is a great person, a great coach, and has everything. He would even ring me still now to still see how I’m doing. Mancini is very emotional. There was a time when we played Bayern Munich and he would not bring Tevez on because he didn’t think he was fit enough to walk, let alone play.”
Mancini’s Italy were viewed by some as the dark horses of this summer’s European Championship and they’ve up to that billing, progressing through to a semi-final clash with Spain thanks to their 2-1 win over Belgium Pundits and fans alike have praised Italy for their style of play at Euro 2020 and there should be no shortage of potential suitors for Mancini in club football if he eventually does leave for pastures new.
