Roberto Mancini hints at refereeing bias

MANCHESTER City manager Roberto Mancini has claimed “the rules are not the same for everyone” while voicing frustration at the standard of English refereeing.

Mancini did not want to comment on specific incidents but City’s title rivals Manchester United have benefited from two controversial penalty decisions in the past fortnight.

City, who trail United by five points at the top of the Barclays Premier League, also felt wronged when Carlos Tevez was booked for diving instead of being awarded a penalty against Norwich last week.

Mancini has said, with four games remaining, his side’s title hopes are over and he still feels that way despite some of his players expressing a different opinion.

When asked his thoughts on some of those players’ remarks, Mancini said: “I am happy because they believe but, for me, I [still] have the same feeling. I think it is very difficult. Also after some of the situations I saw in the last three or four weeks, I think it is really difficult for us.”

When asked if he was referring to refereeing decisions involving City or United, he said: “Both.”

Mancini, at a press conference to preview tomorrow’s game at Wolves, was then asked to elaborate. He said: “I can say it is a very strange situation, only this. For us it is important to finish well this season. We want to try to win the next game. That will be difficult. Wolves are bottom of the table and it will be a tough game. We need to play like against Norwich.”

When asked to expand again about these “situations”, Mancini said: “I am not frustrated. In Italy we say, ‘Every place is the same’.”

Asked what that meant, he said: “The rules are not the same for everyone.”

Mancini was then asked if he was suggesting the rules are being applied differently for City and United. He said: “I am not saying this. I said the rules, maybe sometimes, are different.”