PATRICK VIEIRA CLAIMS his comments in a recent interview were taken out of context as part of an alleged “cynical misrepresentation” by the BBC’s Dan Roan, according to Man City’s official website.
The club have also backed the former midfielder, and banned Roan from “all future Manchester City media activity,” following an interview in which Vieira is alleged to have indicated that Man United receive favourable decisions from officials.
And speaking to the club’s website, Vieira said: “I am very angry with Dan Roan. I feel he has misrepresented me. I made it clear in the interview twice that I wanted to avoid criticising United and even stated that I didn’t watch the United game against Fulham and had not seen the incident to which the reporter referred.
“That part of the interview was ignored and my comments were taken completely out of context. I called the reporter twice to ask for a retraction and an apology which has not come. I feel Dan Roan and the BBC have shown a complete lack of respect for me, the ‘Football Against Hunger’ charity and Manchester City Football Club.”
The club’s Chief Communications Officer, Vicky Kloss, also criticised Roan for pursuing “a leading and aggressive line of questioning, through which Patrick was very careful to tread a diplomatic path”.
A video of the interview in question is still available on the BBC website, in which Vieira says: “[United] may gonna get some advantage which some other team are not gonna get [sic].”
