It is understood City chief executive Cook denies sending the email, which was supposed to be going to City's director of football Brian Marwood anyway, and thinks his email account was hacked into. "Following allegations made to the football club by Dr Anthonia Onuoha, subsequently reported in today's media, the club can confirm that a board-led review has been launched into the matter," said a City statement released on Monday evening. The claims relate to correspondence involving Onuoha's mother, who looks after all the player's contractual arrangements and Marwood over a dispute in October last year. She was stunned to receive an e-mail, purporting to be from Cook, which mocked her use of the phrase "ravaged with it" to describe her condition. "When I opened up my e-mails and saw the message, it was the worst day of my life, even worse than being diagnosed with cancer," Dr Onuoha told The Sun. "I couldn't understand how anyone could behave like that. I'm critically ill. "I cried and cried for hours." Cook attracted a series of negative headlines early in his tenure. At one stage he described subsequently discredited former City owner Thaksin Shinawatra as "a great guy to play golf with". He was also associated with a failed attempt to sign Kaka, accusing his then club AC Milan of "bottling it". Cook also boasted that City would win a 2010 Carling Cup semi-final against Manchester United, only for them subsequently to lose. However, Cook is well liked by the majority of Blues staff, who feel the former Nike executive has never been given the credit deserved for the huge amount of good work he has done for the Blues in their ascent to English football's top table. This latest matter is far more serious though. Owner Sheikh Mansour is aware of the allegation and should Cook's name not be cleared, it is difficult to see how he can remain in his job. That Onuoha remains at City despite the expectation he would leave during the summer transfer window as he is no longer part of manager Roberto Mancini's plans, just makes the matter even more delicate.
