11:10am Friday 3rd September 2010
By Andy Cryer
BENJANI has accused Manchester City of ‘lacking class’ and has warned his former club money does not guarantee success.
Blackburn Rovers’ new signing is hoping to face his old employers at the City of Manchester stadium a week on Saturday and insists the Premier League’s richest club are lacking a key ingredient.
The 32-year-old was released by City in June after two frustrating seasons but insists he is now looking forward to his new challenge and the chance ‘to be loved again’.
He said: “It should be great but so much money is not everything.
"Without that there are people who can love you and that is important.
“I would prefer to be here without all those facilities and be happy and to be able to trust everyone around me.
"It seemed like behind the scenes at Manchester City there is no class.
“If you look a year back they bought eight or nine players. I think six or seven of those are already on their way out.
“That’s what I mean about trust. So you need to be loved even if you change the manager.”
But the Zimbabwe skipper insists he is not bitter about his limited opportunities there since joining from Portsmouth in 2008. He blames a string of injuries for just scoring four goals in 23 league appearances and admits the lack of trust at the club is only something he has seen from afar.
He said: “I did have a fair chance but my chances were wrecked by injuries. I cannot complain.
“They treated me very well and while I was there none of this was happening. I only saw it when I was on my way out.
“They wanted the big stars and I wasn’t that.”
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