"We tried to convince him to return but he said no, he'd prefer to stay with his family, " revealed the former Real Madrid and AC Milan manager.

BBC: Fabio Capello makes surprise England World Cup choices

But those statistics were rendered meaningless on an afternoon of triumph for City coach and former Inter Milan boss Roberto Mancini, who pitted his wits in the Premier League for the first time against ex-AC Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti.

BBC: Chelsea 2-4 Man City

On a day dominated by speculation linking City striker Mario Balotelli with a move to AC Milan, manager Roberto Mancini might have hoped for a victory to concentrate on instead.

CNN: U.S. star Altidore suffers racial abuse