Mancini warns Manuel over City's Euro hopes

ROBERTO MANCINI reckons Manuel Pellegrini faces a huge battle to turn Manchester City into a European superpower.

City boss Pellegrini will meet many of his players for the first time when they report for pre-season training today.

His excellent Champions League record with Villarreal and Malaga is one of the reasons why City bigwigs Ferran Soriano and Txiki Begiristain were attracted to him.

But Mancini — whose dismal record in Europe ended up seeing him axed and replaced by the Chilean — believes the club must accept they are lagging behind the top clubs on the continent.

The Italian said: “I would say City are a bit like Juventus. They are growing but are still a bit behind the big European clubs.

“To win the Champions League you need experience and the right squad. There aren’t many games, so if you get two wrong then you’re out of the running.

“In the Champions League last year, we had the toughest group. Now they have lost two important players in Carlos

Tevez and Mario Balotelli.

“I do not agree with those who say German or even English clubs are dominant in Europe.

“The Germans have the benefit of a long winter break, while the English lose intensity as time goes on because they never stop playing.

“Bayern Munich are the team to beat, as they are full of stars, solid at the back and strong on the counter-attack. I still consider Barcelona to be the strongest team, though.”

Despite his impressive domestic record, Mancini failed to take City out of the group stages in either of his two Champions League campaigns.

Pellegrini has already spent £45million bringing Fernandinho and Jesus Navas to the Etihad this summer as he tries to rectify that — and the spending has not finished yet.

He is keen on Real Madrid defender Pepe, while Seville striker Alvaro Negredo is near the top of his wish-list.

And the man who hired and fired Pellegrini, 59, at the Bernabeu insists he will get it right in England — and feels he was unlucky to lose his job to Jose Mourinho.

Ex-Real director Jorge Valdano said: “Pellegrini had an ideal method of leadership for Madrid. But he had to face a transition because footballers like Raul and Guti were playing their last seasons at the club.

“He also had bad luck because Kaka, Pepe and Ronaldo suffered injuries during the season.

“But I’ve never doubted Pellegrini’s quality. Manuel will triumph at City if they give him time and resources. He will show what kind of coach he is in England.”

Pellegrini is set to be officially unveiled as City boss at a Press conference on Wednesday afternoon — before jetting off on the club’s pre-season tour to South Africa.

Mancini, meanwhile, is in no rush to land a new job two months after being ousted at the Etihad.

Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain and Roma have all been linked to the 48-year-old ex-Inter Milan coach.

But he said: “I’m happy with this time off.”