I won Premier League title but missed out on second medal after blazing bust-up with former boss, claims Micah Richards
MANCHESTER CITY hero Micah Richards was denied of a second Premier League medal after falling out with former manager Manuel Pellegrini.
Richards joined City‘s academy when he was 13 years old and was promoted the senior squad in 2005 as he went on to amass a total of nine goals and 14 assists in 246 appearances until 2015.
The former centre-back was also a starter in the 2011-2012 season that saw the Citizens winning their first league title in 44 years.
The now 35-year-old had the chance to add a second Prem medal to his trophy room in 2014 but ruined his chances after a heated bust-up with then manager Pellegrini.
That took place during an FA Cup match against Watford at the Etihad where City came from 2-0 down to win 4-2.
The former England international put together an “absolute stinker” and the Chilean tactician decided to take him off in favour of Pablo Zabaleta.
Richards then lashed out in front of everyone as he accused the current Real Betis boss of having “favourites”.
Pellegrini then “blanked” the former Aston Villa star, who was not in the squad for the next two games and only made the bench in one of the next eight.
The Sky Sports pundit played only twice in the Premier League that season, which means he was ineligible for a medal as he needed to have competed at least five times.
But in hindsight, the former defender admits he was wrong and holds no grudge against Pellegrini.
Richards told The Rest is Football: “We were playing in the cup. I basically came back from injury and we were playing against a lower-league team at the Etihad”
“In the first half, I’ve had a stinker, absolute stinker, and we’re chasing the game, losing the game, and Pellegrini comes in at half-time and says: ‘Zabaleta for Micah Richards’.
“So I lost my s**t. I said: ‘It’s an absolute disgrace, you’ve got your favourites in the team’.
“I’m effing and jeffing and throwing things around in front of everyone, and after the game he just blanked me… But he blanked me for about three weeks!
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“When you get the team list, he wasn’t naming me in the squad. I’m asking the physio or the doctor, ‘What’s happening?’
“And he said: ‘You’re not getting back in the squad until you go apologise’.
“So I had to go to his office and say: ‘I’m sorry, can I get back in the squad?’
“At this point, I apologised so late I couldn’t even get the Premier League. It was all my fault..”