Manuel: Carry on booing the UEFA anthem
MANUEL Pellegrini has defended Manchester City supporters’ right to boo the Champions League anthem at tonight’s clash with Sevilla.
The Premier League leaders were charged by UEFA after fans jeered the competition music before they met the Spaniards at the Etihad Stadium on October 21.
And despite the threat of a fine hanging over the club’s head, the manager backed the 2,450 travelling from Manchester to voice their disapproval once more at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium.
‘I think everyone has the right to protest about different things,’ the Chilean said. ‘It’s important, the way you do it. I think everyone has the right to do it.’
City supporters have a number of longstanding issues with the governing body. Many believe sanctions imposed on the club for breaching Financial Fair Play rules were unfair while a perceived failure to properly punish CSKA Moscow after their supporters racially abused midfielder Yaya Toure has not helped. ‘It’s very difficult for me to analyse why they are doing it,’ said Pellegrini. ‘My general opinion is if they boo it is because they think there is something Uefa are doing wrong.’
A City win in Andalucia coupled with anything other than a Borussia Monchengladbach victory at home to Juventus would put Pellegrini’s side into the next stage with two games to spare.
And while a draw would also be viewed as a good result the manager, who brings Fabian Delph and Gael Clichy back into his squad, will not send City out to defend.
‘This team is not prepared to try and draw. We are not going to start thinking a draw is a good point,’ he said. ‘We are going to try to win from the beginning. If you start a game thinking a draw is a good result you normally lose the game.’
Pellegrini will once again be without defender Pablo Zabaleta, midfielder Samir Nasri and key attacking pair David Silva and Sergio Aguero.
Replacement striker Wilfried Bony has struggled to fill Aguero’s boots and has come in for criticism from some sections of the crowd. But the 26–year-old, a £25m signing from Swansea City at the turn of the year, vowed to ‘do my job’.
Bony has scored just three goals in 12 appearances this season, although four of those have come as substitute.
He drew another blank in Saturday’s 2-1 victory over Norwich City and Pellegrini admitted after the game that the Ivorian ‘ must demonstrate why he is here’.
‘I am here to score goals,’ Bony said. ‘I just want to do my job, do my best in training and score when I get my chance.’
Bony added that he was putting in maximum effort for the cause. ‘I’m trying everything to score goals, but they did not go in for me on Saturday,’ he said. ‘I hope soon they will. It would be great to get one in the Champions League.’
Bony appeared to break his competition duck in City’s lastgasp 2-1 win over Sevilla at the Etihad but the strike was later adjudged to be an own goal.
Sevilla, back- to- back Europa League winners, have struggled this season and lie in 11th place in La Liga, but Bony is taking nothing for granted.
‘It’s going to be tough,’ he said. ‘You saw what a good team they are over here.’
Sportsmail understands City’s travelling support will be closely monitored by around 1,000 police officers, while concerns have been raised over congestion and toilet facilities at the 60- year- old stadium.