Djibril Cissé defends integrity of 2012 Manchester City vs QPR match

Former footballer Djibril Cissé has strongly defended the integrity of the 2012 Premier League match between Manchester City and Queens Park Rangers (QPR). His comments follow renewed scrutiny regarding Manchester City’s legal issues and historical allegations of match manipulation.

The debate was reignited by comments from former referee Mike Dean, who suggested ‘something strange happened’ during the match. This has led to renewed discussion regarding the iconic moment when Cissé, then playing for QPR, was seen celebrating with his friend Samir Nasri of Manchester City after the game, which saw City secure the title via a last-minute Sergio Agüero goal.

Responding on X, Cissé dismissed the allegations as ‘nonsense’ and challenged critics to a proper discussion. He questioned why his former team, QPR, would be blamed when Manchester City had failed to secure the title in previous matches, necessitating the dramatic final-day finish.