26.04.2016 - 08:19 | Source: Transfermarkt.co.uk | Reading Time: 10 mins

Transfermarkt interview

Vassell criticizes Manchester City's treatment of Pellegrini

Darius Vassell was part of Manchester City's squad when Sheikh Mansour took over the club. The Citizens have reached the Champions League semi-finals for the first time this season and will face Real Madrid tonight. In an interview with Transfermarkt, the former England international criticizes his former club for the treatment with Manuel Pellegrini, speaks about Leicester's amazing season, Aston Villa's relegation and James Milner's record chase.

Transfermarkt: Mr Vassell, it will be a historic night for Manchester City when they will play in the Champions League semi-finals for the first time. How big is the chance of your old club reaching the final?

Darius Vassell: It is great for the club and the players to reach the semi-finals. I am very happy for my old teammates Joe Hart, Vincent Kompany and Pablo Zabaleta. I have recently been back for a visit there and it was great to see some of the old faces from the staff. Manchester City have a great team this year and hopefully they can go all the way. But sure, the match against Real Madrid will be very difficult. I have always said that anything can happen in cup competitions. They are a big team now just like Real Madrid and they can be very confident with this squad.

Transfermarkt: No other teams have spent more money on players than Real Madrid and Manchester City in the last 10 years. Why did it take Manchester City so long to reach their first semi-final?

Vassell: There are many examples which show that clubs haven't won big trophies just by spending money. I think it is a long process and sometimes you don't get it right the first time. You have to continue building and Manchester City are a club who have pretty much done that over the years, ever since I was there. Up until now they keep going up and up and up. I have the feeling that it will be sooner than later that they will win the Champions League.

Transfermarkt: Manchester City announced the appointment of Pep Guardiola earlier this year. Is it the right choice or do you think that they should have continued working with Manuel Pellegrini?

Vassell: I actually think that with the results and the team Manchester City have got Guardiola is a good choice. It's going to be another development. The only thing I see about this appointment is that we all knew that it was going to happen before it happened. Is this going to be the new thing in football that managers have to look after their teams while knowing that they don't have a future at the club? I feel like this treatment is a bit strange. But Manchester City are a professional team and obviously have some arrangements which allow them to do so but hopefully they won't set up the football business for the future.

Transfermarkt: You left Manchester City in 2009 and signed for Turkish outfit Ankaragucu. Why did you choose to join a club abroad?

Vassell: As a player you work out which teams are in for you, where you would like to go and what you want to do. And I felt this is obviously a new challenge. If you turn down an offer you spend the rest of your life wondering what it would have been like so it wasn't a difficult decision for me in that sense. Obviously it is nice to be in a team where a manager goes out and gets you. It was a nice experience for me. If a team is coming for you, you always have to give it a thought. Going abroad, meeting new people and new cultures were great experiences and I was sure that I would come back as a different person and I certainly did.

Transfermarkt: You joined Leicester City in 2010 which is another club that have frequently made the news this season. The Foxes are surprisingly at the top of the Premier League and could wrap up title success on Sunday.

Vassell: I didn't think so for three quarters of the season and I was like 'it can't last, it can't last, it can't last'. But at the same time I was hoping 'it will last, it will last'. I think that kind of energy has summed up Leicester this season. People haven't been able to believe what is happening. Every time they keep winning games it makes it that more enjoyable and addictive for the team. They are certainly on a roll. They've had a minor setback recently but they have a lot of strong players in their dressing room and it's theirs to lose. They will make it now. They can only lose it right now which will give them the energy to pull it off.

Transfermarkt: A lot of Leicester's players have been linked with other clubs in the past months. Several clubs are interested in bringing in Riyad Mahrez and N'Golo Kante. Do you think Leicester can repeat this year's performance in the next season even without a few key players?

Vassell: Leicester will be financially in a better position than this year so hopefully they will continue with the players to go on. It could happen that big players will leave the club. And that wouldn't be a major problem as long as those players are getting replaced or they have others or young players in reserve. But I would like to see those players stay at Leicester.

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Transfermarkt: You played your last game as a footballer in 2012 under Nigel Pearson who guided Leicester to the Premier League and avoided relegation in 2015. A lot of people say it is also down to him that Leicester are Premier League leaders. How similar are Leicester in 2016 compared to the 2012 team?

Vassell: The best players of the 2012 team have remained at Leicester and that’s the way it should be. Players like Kasper Schmeichel, Danny Drinkwater or Wes Morgan are still there and many people have called them the spine of team so to speak. Each manager who comes in is going to contribute and I think Nigel Pearson should be very proud of his contribution to where Leicester are and where Leicester will be going.

Transfermarkt: Do Leicester still play the Pearson style?

Vassell: No, I think that is a bit unfair to say. Claudio Ranieri has done a big job and he made the team into the way he wants them to play. Every manager who is in the club should get the respect and the credit for the work he has done.

Transfermarkt: Your first club Aston Villa were recently relegated. Their season was influenced by rumors and conflicts off the pitch. Can relegation to the Championship provide a good opportunity to start over?

Vassell: Villa are a club very close to my heart and it is unacceptable to let them be where they are. Aston Villa do not belong in the Championship but at the same time results don't lie. They are a Premier League team and it is a very sad thing that they have been relegated. They have to start again and it will be a new and fresh beginning. They have to appoint a new manager and look at the board. They have to get back to the Premier League for the fans. They can definitely make a prompt return to the topflight but it depends on the work on the transfer market in the summer.

Transfermarkt: Which of your old clubs do you support the most nowadays?

Vassell: I keep a good eye on Manchester City and what they are doing and it is obviously similar with Leicester. I am not a particular football fan who is rooting for one club. For me as a local lad and Villa boy it is disappointing to see what happened to Villa. I really have got a lot of emotions going through this season. I am happy for Man City and Leicester but for me the saddest thing is Villa's relegation.

Transfermarkt: Sven-Goran Eriksson's and your path have crossed during your career. He handed you your England debut, you played under him at Manchester City and he signed you when he was in charge at Leicester. What role has he played in your career?

Vassell: The only role he really played was being my manager. I respect him and am thankful. Every time I was his player he struck me as somebody who could do the job well, who sometimes hasn't received the time and credit he is due.

Transfermarkt: You played for England at the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2004. What can England achieve at the upcoming Euros?

Vassell: On paper England can reach the final. The team can go far and win it. That is something which has to grow during the tournament. Once we get to the final stages we can start thinking about it. Obviously every team at this stage can win it but if we get there, it grows and builds, the players can find their form, then we have a chance to win it.

Transfermarkt: You had a bad injury in your last year at Leicester and you have recently announced your retirement officially.

Vassell: Some people said I should have continued playing and that it is too earlier to retire and I should wait and keep on until I'm 40 years like Ryan Giggs did. But that is a difficult situation. I think it depends on the way you look at your career. And there are different ways of looking at my career and I certainly thought that it wasn't too early.

Transfermarkt: You said that you are looking at the next phase of your life. What do you want to do next? Could you imagine working as a manager?

Vassell: Yeah, maybe one day. I don't see why not. The only thing standing in my way is getting my coaching badges. I haven't started that yet. But right now it is not my aim to become a manager and I don’t feel I am desperate or destined to be. I feel like I have given a lot to the game and I've gotten a lot from it. I'm fine at the moment and I’m writing a book now and that takes some time.

Transfermarkt: You are still the Premier League record holder for scoring in matches and not losing. You managed a 46-game run without defeat after scoring but Liverpool's James Milner (41 games) is closing in on your record. Are you worried?

Vassell: (laughing) Yeah, a little bit. I didn't know about the record until the last few years to be honest and it seems like it is a pretty decent record to have. It is nice that it is being recognized. But records are there to be broken. Good luck to James Milner. If he does break it, it is good that a player like him who is so valuable and has done so well in the game, breaks it. I will have my eyes open, not fingers crossed but I would be happy if he does it, too.

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