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“If he talks badly to me, I’ll throw a spike at him”: when Nasri recounts his quarrels with Mancini during Manchester City’s time

From his six years with the Manchester City shirt (2011-2017), Samir Nasri has some good memories. Two Premier League titles (2012, 2014), a League Cup (2014) and a Community Shield (England Supercup, 2014): so many rewards for the former Marseillais. But there was not only peace during his tenure with the Citizens, as the viewers of the Big Five show on Canal Plus, in which the 34-year-old retiree of the land collaborates. .

Surrounded by Robert Pirès, Olivier Dacourt, Habib Beye and Florent Sinama-Pongolle, Nasri has cracked down on some explanations for his tumultuous relationship for two seasons with his then coach, the Italian Roberto Mancini. A relationship which fortunately has mellowed since. Selected pieces.

“Four days from the end of the championship (2012), we’re playing at Wolverhampton. I’m on his side and he just talks the whole game. In the first half, I turn around and say, “Stop talking, I’m not a PlayStation!” If you’re not happy, you take me out and bring in someone else ”. At half-time, I had prepared myself, I had taken off my crampons. There was Yaya Touré next to me, I said to him: “if he talks badly to me, I’ll throw a spike at him!” Seeing how I spoke to him, I’m sure I’m going out ”. The coach didn’t tell me anything, I came back in the second half, we won 2-0 and when I scored I still gave a little sign (he puts his finger to his mouth) ”.

Mancini then summons his midfielder for a meeting that will last three quarters of an hour, says Nasri: “He explains to me that if I want to be a great player, I have to listen to him. And that if I just want to be a good player, I just keep doing what I’m doing. Because he knows football very well, apparently better than everyone else… ”

“I told you, don’t talk to him, he’s crazy”

City prepares the derby against United, the title will be played between the two enemy brothers of Manchester. “Mancini tells me to defend in a certain way and David Platt, his deputy, tells me to do otherwise. I listen to Platt and Mancini begins to insult me ​​in Italian but I understand his insults. So I insult him too. He starts to scream, me too. I call him names. These children played in reserve and often came to train with us. I said to him: “Your children, I will catch them in the parking lot”. I am coming back home. Patrick (Vieira), who had an ambassadorial role at the club, comes to see me at my place and says: “I told you, don’t talk to him, he’s crazy. “

Later, the former French international (41 caps) was reinstated thanks to the unexpected intervention of the club president, who came from Abu Dhabi, who then asked his coach to play him again. Samir Nasri must then take the plane to Paris to go see his osteopath, having blocked his neck: “The manager of Mancini calls me and asks me if the coach (who wanted to go to Milan via the capital) can fly. I said to him: “No, he is not going up with me”. As he insists, I ask him to give me half the price of the ticket. The next day he came and gave me my pennies. We were seated face to face and for forty minutes, there was a blank, we did not say a word. Finally a physiotherapist made a joke to start the discussion. And we made peace. He later told me that he preferred honest people to deceitful people. Since that day, we’ve always got along well. Nickel. “

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