Mancini and Martinez share a lighter moment

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Martinez: Card game not on

Roberto Martinez suspects Roberto Mancini’s card-waving gesture will not go down well with the English public.

The Manchester City boss waved an imaginary card at referee Martin Atkinson during his team’s 1-0 win at Wigan on Monday night.

The Italian reacted after Maynor Figueroa handled Nigel de Jong’s ball over the top intended for Sergio Aguero late on at DW Stadium. Figueroa was cautioned, with Mancini feeling a red card was in order.

Martinez believes Atkinson made the right call.

“I don’t think it was a goalscoring opportunity,” he told Press Association. “He has misjudged the bounce but he is not even in his own half. I don’t think it is a red card.”

He added that Mancini’s call for a dismissal is unsporting by English standards. 

“I’ve been here long enough to understand that trying to influence the referee is not accepted in the British game,” he said.

“I’ve been here since 1995 so I know when a player tries to buy a decision from the referee it is not seen as clever. It is seen as cheating.

“I understand in Italy, Spain and France you try to get decisions from the referee. What happens here is very different.”