Manuel Pellegrini has said Manchester City fans are free to boo the Champions League anthem again despite Uefa’s deliberations over whether to charge the club for supporters doing so before the game with Sevilla a fortnight ago.
City play Unai Emery’s side in the return Champions League Group D match on Tuesday evening at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán.
Uefa is to meet on 19 November to decide whether City should have a charge to answer for the booing of the anthem before the 2-1 win at the Etihad Stadium on 21 October.
Asked if Pellegrini would understand if fans did the same again, he said: “I think that everyone has the right to boo or protest on how they see things. It is important how they do it. Everyone has the right to do it. My general opinion is that, if they boo, Uefa are not doing something right.”
Pellegrini insists his side will play only for victory over Sevilla. “This team is not prepared to try to draw the game,” said the manager. “We are going to try to win the game from the beginning. You can’t always win but, if you start the game thinking a draw is a good result, you are not going to win it.
“I think the best way to manage the game is to manage it in the way we always we do. Try to demonstrate we have enough quality to qualify for the next stage.”
