London, Dec. 20 : Manchester City stars have expressed outrage over the club management’s decision to sack coach Mark `Sparky’ Hughes and replace him with former Inter-Milan coach Robert Mancini.

Players Craig Bellamy and Shay Given led a six-man delegation to a meeting with club CEO Gary Cook after axed Hughes made an emotional dressing room speech telling them that Mancini was replacing him.

Mancini has been handed a three- and-a-half year deal at three million pounds a year after a series of meetings with Cook and chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarek following the draw with Hull on November 28.

According to a News of The World report, the players expressed their disgust at the treatment of Hughes after it emerged his fate was sealed following the Carling Cup victory over Arsenal on December 2.

A dressing room source said: "Mark thanked all the lads at the end of the game and told them this would be his last game because Mancini was taking over. There is a huge amount of loyalty towards Mark, the players respect him as a manager and as a person and they can''t believe he''s being treated as shabbily as this.”

"This has been done without any class whatsoever. The players were getting messages on their mobiles telling them what was going on and they decided they had to do something. They know who is behind this - Gary Cook and Brian Marwood. Six of them decided they had to say and do something so they went looking for them after the game. Perhaps it was a futile gesture but they had to do something because they were so furious," he added.

Mancini''s deal includes a one million pound bonus if City finish in the top four this season. And he''ll pick up another million for every trophy he wins over the course of his contract.

It emerged last night that Brian Kidd will be Mancini''s assistant after many of the City backroom staff followed Hughes out of Eastlands. (ANI)