Mancini dismisses exit rumor

Mancini dismisses exit rumor

Published May. 4, 2013 1:00 a.m. ET

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has laughed off the latest round of speculation over his position at the Etihad Stadium.

It was reported this week that City's director of football, Txiki Begiristain, had lunch with the agent of Malaga boss Manuel Pellegrini, the Chilean who has been touted as a potential successor to Mancini.

Jesus Martinez also represents the Malaga midfielder Isco, a potential summer target for City, but while Mancini brushed off the latest probe into his future, he admitted his role at City has not been discussed.

"I hope that he had good dinner!" Mancini said jokingly, when asked about Begiristain's apparent meeting.

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"Txiki goes around the world for his job. For this reason I don't have any problem if he goes to a dinner with Pellegrini's manager, or Brendan Rodgers' manager.

"I think this is not true, but if he went I don't have any problem."

But asked if Khaldoon had told him he would definitely be in charge next season, Mancini said: "Never, never. We don't have to talk about this. We don't have any problems about this.

"I have four years (left on my) contract. I know that I work with serious people, like (chairman) Khaldoon (Al Mubarak) and (owner) Sheikh Mansour."

"We have a good relationship. In three years we have won three trophies and now we have another chance to get another trophy."

City's campaign has not matched the heights of last season but despite conceding their title to rivals Manchester United they can still secure second spot in the table and add another piece of silverware with victory over Wigan in the FA Cup final next week.

"If in three years I didn't win (anything), okay, but we have done a good job until now," Mancini added. "We have a chance to win (the FA Cup) and are in second position.

"The chairman can take any decision about his manager but at the moment we don't have any problem."

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