Roberto Mancini appeared to admit having “a double contract” while managing Manchester City, but insisted the club are not guilty after being found to have breached ­Premier League financial rules.

Mancini led City to their first ­Premier League title in 2012 during his four-year spell in Manchester. Now in charge of the Italy national team, he described the scandal surrounding the club as “not a problem that concerns me”.

One element of the case against City is an investigation into payment details for players and managers between 2009 and 2018. The German magazine Der Spiegel obtained evidence that Mancini doubled his base salary of £1.45m by advising a club in Abu Dhabi. “It’s not a problem that concerns me,” the 61-year-old said in Italy’s press conference before their Nations League match with Turkey on Monday.

“It’s not something new because every four or five years this comes up. Manchester City is not guilty and the fact of having a double contract isn’t my problem but theirs, probably.”

Mancini lifted the FA Cup as well as the Premier League during his time at City, the first trophies of Sheikh ­Mansour’s ownership, laying the foundations for future success. He left in 2013 after defeat against Wigan in the FA Cup final.

City have been found guilty by an independent commission of the vast majority of more than 100 charges related to alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules.