Pellegrini: Manchester City fans have ‘the right to boo and protest’ UEFA’s Champions League anthem
Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini is happy for fans to continue booing the Champions League anthem. City have been reported to UEFA after jeering during the competition’s traditional pre-match ceremony in a protest against the European governing body prior to last month’s home clash against Sevilla. The club could face disciplinary […]
Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini is happy for fans to continue booing the Champions League anthem. City have been reported to UEFA after jeering during the competition’s traditional pre-match ceremony in a protest against the European governing body prior to last month’s home clash against Sevilla.
The club could face disciplinary action, but Pellegrini would have no issue if there was a repeat of the action prior to Tuesday’s return Group D match at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium. Pellegrini said:
“I think everyone has the right to boo and protest. It is important how they do it but if they think something is wrong I think everyone has the right to say what they want.
“It is very difficult for me to analyze why they boo and the way they do it, but my general opinion is if they boo, UEFA are not doing something right.”
City’s supporters have had numerous issues with UEFA in recent years, but ill feeling increased a year ago when a game in Russia was ordered to be played behind closed doors. That was as a punishment for numerous offenses by CSKA Moscow fans — including incidences of racial abuse — but City fans were also banned from the ground, with no allowance made for those that had already arranged travel, visas and accommodation.
SEE MORE: Iheanacho determined to prove himself at Manchester City.
Captain Vincent Kompany described as a “joke” the opening of disciplinary proceedings by UEFA for “disruption of the competition anthem,” but the case will be heard on Nov. 19 and a charge could follow.
By then City could have secured their place in the last 16 of the Champions League, and they will do so if they beat Sevilla and Juventus win at Borussia Monchengladbach.
Pellegrini said:
“I think it is very important for the team to try to win. It depends what happens in the other game but we can be almost classified for the next stage.
“It is important to play a good game and also get used to winning away in Europe. We hope we will see a good performance away from home.”
But City know from experience that Europa League winners Sevilla are no pushovers. The Spaniards provided a stern test at the Etihad Stadium a fortnight ago and were only beaten by a late Kevin De Bruyne strike.
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Pellegrini said: “They are the champions of the Europa League from last season and we know they have a stadium with a fantastic atmosphere. They have got some fantastic players and we know we are up against a team that plays very well.”
That said, Pellegrini acknowledged that qualifying for the knockout stages with two games to spare, given the club’s past struggles in the competition, would be a good achievement.
He said: “Of course it is a benefit if you qualify as soon as you can and it is not easy to do it three or four games before.
“But in the same way, if you are qualified, you must then try to fight for the first position of the group. So, this is not a game that will finish the group stage.
“We have two games more to try to qualify if we don’t do it tomorrow, or to try to win the group if we do it tomorrow.”
City will again be without playmaker David Silva for the game.
Silva was considered to have an outside chance of featuring in Spain after five games out with an ankle problem but he has not travelled with the squad.
Midfielder Fabian Delph (hamstring) and left-back Gael Clichy (ankle) are back in contention after lengthy absences but striker Sergio Aguero (hamstring), defender Pablo Zabaleta (knee) and midfielder Samir Nasri (hamstring) are still out. Striker Kelechi Iheanacho is ineligible.
