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Football

07th May 2018

Eliaquim Mangala mocked for appearing at Manchester City’s title presentation

There were a few John Terry comments...

Simon Lloyd

Manchester City are Premier League champions.

Pep Guardiola’s side were presented with the trophy on Sunday afternoon following their penultimate home game – a 0-0 draw with Huddersfield Town.

Amongst those to pick up a winners’ medal at The Etihad Stadium was central defender Eliaquim Mangala, despite the fact he’s spent the second half of the season on loan at Everton.

The French international made nine league appearances for City this season, including one in the 2-1 Manchester derby victory over United at Old Trafford in December. However, he was allowed to leave for Goodison Park on the final day of the January transfer window after City completed the club record signing of Aymeric Laporte.

His time at Everton didn’t go to plan. Having made his debut in a 5-1 defeat at Arsenal in early February, he injured his knee a week later in a game against Crystal Palace. It was later announced that the injury would keep him out for the remainder of the season.

Regardless of his contribution to City’s title success, many were still surprised to see Mangala at the title celebrations on Sunday. Some claimed he’d ‘done a John Terry’ – referring to the former Chelsea captain famously wearing full kit as he lifted the Champions League trophy in 2012, despite being suspended for the final against Bayern Munich.

Tweeting after the presentation, Mangala said he was proud to have been part of City’s title success, also adding that he had hoped to have contributed more to Everton.

Mangala began his career in Belgium with Standard Liege, leaving them for Portuguese side FC Porto in 2011. He signed for City in 2014 but spent Guardiola’s first season in Manchester on loan with La Liga side, Valencia.

City close their season with two final league fixtures: at home to Brighton on Wednesday evening and away at Southampton on the final day.