DURBAN: Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has left the team’s pre-season tour of South Africa to return to Chile due to family reasons, the Premier League club announced.
Assistant manager Brian Kidd took charge of City’s friendly against Amazulu in Durban yesterday.
The game was the second of City’s trip to South Africa before they leave for Hong Kong on Sunday.
It is unclear how long Pellegrini, who took over from Roberto Mancini last month, will be away from his players. City’s squad only returned to pre-season training on Monday last week.
Meanwhile, veteran midfielder Jermaine Jones has said Champions League side Schalke 04 must aim to disrupt Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund’s domination of the Bundesliga this season.
Apart from Bayern and Borussia, VfL Wolfsburg were the last team to win the German league title back in 2009, but the Royal Blues of Schalke aim to break up the monopoly this season.
“Our aim should be to play for the German title. Part of football is having high ambitions and not having any fear that it won’t work out,” the 31-year-old US midfielder told German magazine Kicker. With Pep Guardiola having taken charge of Bayern, the first German team to win the treble of European, league and cup titles last season, the Bavarian giants are clear favourites to retain the league title, something which inspires Jones.
“It’s great when everyone sees see it that way before the season starts,” he said. “There is nothing better than to chase the team who are where you want to be.”
Having finished fourth in the Bundesliga last season behind Bayern, Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen, Schalke face a play-off in August to qualify for the Champions League draw and have been proactive on the transfer market.
Promising Hungary striker Adam Szalai has been signed from Mainz, Germany Under-19 midfielder Leon Goretzka has come from VfL Bochum and Brazilian centre-back Felipe Santana has joined from rivals Dortmund.
Schalke open their Bundesliga season against Hamburg on Sunday August 11.
Also yesterday, France midfielder Florent Malouda signed a two-year deal with Turkish first division club Trabzonspor, the six-time champions announced.
The international winger will receive 2.5m euros a season after being released by Premier League side Chelsea and spending last season in the reserves.
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