Difficulty Level: 1→(2)→(3)
Important football (soccer) vocabulary is highlighted at the bottom of the page.
Watch the video first without reading the text so you practice your listening skills.
Background: It’s May 2012. Manchester City have just beaten Manchester United at home, which means they are now level on points, and will win the league if they win their last two matches of the season (Manchester City’s goal difference is much better than United’s). Mancini and Ferguson have argued during the match.
Think about these questions when you watch the video for the first time: Is Mancini happy with his team’s performance? Is he confident that they will win the league?[afterwards read the text to check your understanding]
Roberto, they said this was the biggest Manchester Derby for years, you’ve won, how does that feel?
We are happy, we are happy, we are happy, but don’t change nothing [it doesn’t change anything] in our mind because we have another two games, two really difficult game[s], instead United [however United] will play two easy games.
Are you favourites now to win [the league]?
No, no, no, no. I think that Sunday… after Sunday… but, don’t change nothing [anything]. I think that United has a light advantage [slight advantage] yet [still].
The goal when it came… was it always likely to be a set piece? Because United had defended so well.
Yeah, but they defended with all [their] players for all the game, also [but] in the second time [second half] they push[ed] more but they didn’t have any chance[s] to score. I think that we did a good performance [gave a good performance]. But we know [knew] before that [it] was a difficult game because United is a top team.
The goal. A captain’s goal…
Yeah, yeah. I am very happy for him because he deserve[d] this.
At the end, some nervous moments… How were you feeling?
No, no, no, me no. I said, er, to [the] fourth official that [it] was a foul for us. Sir Alex told me, not kindly, ???? but, I answer[d] him, but it finish[ed] there, but I can understand because… [it] was high tension [in] that moment. For me, no problem.
You both looked pretty angry…
Maybe, maybe, me no, I only protest[ed] against the fourth official.
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A Derby: a match between two teams who are geophraphically close to each other.
The favourites: the team which most people think are going to win (a match, or in this case, the league title).
A set piece: a free kick or a throw-in.
To give a good performance: to play well (even though the team maybe don’t win)
The fourth official: the ‘reserve’ referee, who stands on the side near the managers whose job it is to hold up the board with the number of minutes of added time at the end of a match.
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