Did QPR help Man City win 2012 title? Ex-player exposes truth

Djibril Cisse has hit back at former referee Mike Dean and Wayne Rooney after their renewed questions over QPR’s tactics during Manchester City’s dramatic 2012 Premier League title triumph.

Cisse, who scored for QPR that day, rejected suggestions that his team deliberately helped City after Dean described their decision to return the ball to the hosts following Edin Dzeko’s late equaliser as “strange”.

Manchester City appeared to be heading for a shock defeat against QPR on the final day of the 2011-12 season, with Roberto Mancini’s side needing a victory to guarantee the title ahead of Manchester United.

Goals from Pablo Zabaleta and Dzeko had cancelled out Cisse’s effort and Djibril Cisse's team were still ahead until the 92nd minute, when Dzeko levelled for City.

However, QPR immediately kicked the ball out towards the City corner following the restart, allowing the hosts to regain possession and launch another attack. Aguero then produced one of the most famous moments in Premier League history, firing home in stoppage time to seal a 3-2 victory and hand City their first league title since 1968.

Dean, who refereed the match, later questioned the decision during an episode of The Overlap alongside Rooney.

“Once they knew they were safe [from relegation] QPR, I think [forward] Jamie Mackie was on the pitch celebrating while the game was still going on. “They make it 2-2, and they just kick it back and give it to them. And we were like, 'what's going on, why are they giving the ball back straightaway?” Dean said.

Rooney had previously raised similar questions, pointing out that QPR had three former City players in their squad: Nedum Onuoha, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Joey Barton.

Cisse has strongly rejected the suggestion that QPR deliberately assisted City, responding angrily after the clip resurfaced on social media.

“I'm not gonna let you people talk s*** like that,” Cisse wrote. “Let's have a proper meeting and talk about it. 'Cause there is no way I gonna accept your bull**** anymore, so let's do it.”

He also questioned why United had left themselves needing a final-day result after losing five league matches, adding, “Is it our fault if they [Man United] have lost 5 games in the league and waited the last game to win the league???”

Cisse had previously addressed Rooney’s comments, particularly suggestions that his post-match celebrations with City players were suspicious.

“I'm not going to take this accusation any longer. I was celebrating with Samir Nasri. I was happy for my friend and also that we managed to stay up. I don't care about Man City,” he told FourFourTwo at the time.

Cisse stressed that Nasri had been his friend for 15 years and that his celebrations were about their friendship and QPR avoiding relegation.