Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini had a secret deal in place to take over at Monaco, in case he was sacked by Manchester City, it has been learnt.
The extraordinary details of Mancini's covert arrangement with the French club have been revealed for the first time, and have cast fresh doubt over the Italian's long-term City future.
Apparently, talks between Mancini and Monaco began when City lost 1-0 at Arsenal in April, falling eight points behind Manchester United, which went on for three months towards the end of last season, with a view to joining them and pocketing a massive 32 million pounds tax-free over five years, the Daily Mirror reports.
According to the report, Mancini and his representatives, sensing he could be sacked by City for failing to win the title, hatched the contingency plan for him to take over at Ligue 2 side Monaco.
Bankrolled by Russian billionaire shareholder Dmitry Rybolovlev, Monaco offered Mancini a five-year contract worth 6.4 million pounds a year tax-free, plus substantial bonuses, the report said.
But City's dramatic title victory, through Sergio Aguero's injury-time winner against QPR on the final day, saw Mancini's position at City strengthened, culminating in him signing a new five-year contract worth 7 million pounds a year.
However, the revelation that Mancini, 47, was willing to walk out on City, less than three years after taking charge, will come as a shock to the club's hierarchy, the report added.
City declined to comment on Mancini's links with Monaco. (ANI)
