After a visit to Medjugorje, unusual events convinced football manager Roberto Mancini that Heaven helped his team to win the title. “Those who pray are being helped” says Mancini who confirms he had a dream about visionary Vicka Ivankovic-Mijatovic before he came to Medjugorje.
Roberto Mancini
Medjugorje pilgrim and football manager Roberto Mancini is convinced a heavenly intervention helped his British side Manchester City win the Premier League title half a year ago.
In Italian author Paolo Brosio’s new book “La Madonna scende in campo” (“The Madonna Enters the Field”), published on November 13, Mancini tells of a series of unusual events that occurred after his visit to Medjugorje in late March this year. In the book, many people from the world of sports tell about their Medjugorje devotion.
Croatian striker Nikica Jelavic, born near Medjugorje, celebrates one of his two goals against Manchester United on April 22, participating in a set-back to United’s title dreams. Two days before, Roberto Mancini had met the Everton striker in a restaurant, and asked him to score
The first such event was Mancini’s meeting the Croatian striker Nikica Jelavic in an Italian restaurant, two days before Jelavic’s Everton side was to meet Manchester United with whom Roberto Mancini’s Manchester City rivaled for the title. Jelavic hails from Capljina, 8 kilometers (5 miles) from Medjugorje.
“Take care, you have to score goals” Mancini told Jelavic, the Italian sports newspaper La Gazzetto dello Sport quotes from Brosio’s book.
On April 22, Nikica Jelavic went on to score twice against Manchester United, including one of Everton’s two goals in the dying minutes of the game, to change Manchester United’s 4-2 lead into a 4-4 draw, and two important points lost for Manchester United.
In five minutes extra time, Sergio Aguero scores the deciding goal in Manchester City’s last-second 3-2 win against Queens Park Rangers that gave the club its first title in 44 years. First referred to as “the crazy five minutes” by Roberto Mancini, he has since become convinced that Heaven played a part in the dramatic end to the English football title race
One of the closest title races in the history of English football culminated on May 13, in a last round drama. With only the referees’ injury time left of the season’s last games, Manchester United was 1-0 ahead in Sunderland while Manchester City was 1-2 down at home against Queens Park Rangers, in effect forcing Manchester City to score twice in the injury time.
This almost never happens, but on that day, it did. Manchester City scored twice in 2 and 5 minutes extra time, to take the league title.
Roberto Mancini rejoicing with other Manchester City officials, after winning the title on May 13
“The match was played on May 13, the Feast Day of the apparitions at Fatima, one of the Madonna’s most beautiful days” Roberto Mancini first notes.
“Was there an intervention from Heaven?” Paolo Brosio next asks the football manager.
“I thought and still think so. When I think about it, I wonder how it was possible, because I think that in Heaven they have other problems to solve. However, when I pray, I understand that something impossible became possible on that day: May 13, the Feast Day of Fatima, the anniversary of the apparitions in Portugal” Mancini answers.
José Duque
Born near Fatima, the manager’s Portuguese interpreter, driver and assistant had also noticed that the day was May 13:
“José Duque noted this extraordinary coincidence, too, and he knew that Mary would help. I am convinced that those who pray are being helped by God” says Roberto Mancini.
Mancini saw Vicka in a dream
During Roberto Mancini’s visit to Medjugorje in March, it was rumored that he saw visionary Vicka Ivankovic-Mijatovic in a dream before the pilgrimage. Now, Mancini confirms that he had this dream, indeed:
Medjugorje visionary Vicka Ivankovic-Mijatovic prays over Roberto Mancini in her home, March 2012
“I was in a room with some people, and the visionary Vicka was with me. At a certain point she smiled at me, looking straight into my eyes, so that I tried to see if she was looking at someone else behind me. But, suddenly, she moved towards me so that, at that point, I had no doubts anymore” says Roberto Mancini.
“She came towards me, she got near, once again she was looking straight into my eyes. Then she kissed me on my forehead. I explicitly felt the sensation of a physical contact with someone I had never met in my life before.”
Roberto Mancini receives a Croatian national jersey during his return visit to Medjugorje in June. Bijakovici is the part of Medjugorje where most of the visionaries live. Far right, author Paolo Brosio
When Mancini met Vicka in March, he was left with the notion that the seer knew about the dream:
“As we entered the house, Vicka welcomed us hugging and greeting us with a particular affection. She spoke to (Mancini’s wife and daughter) Camilla and Federica, then we sat down in a corner, and I explained in detail the feeling I had when I received her kiss in this dream that seemed real” says Roberto Mancini.
“Vicka looked at me carefully and smiled, as if she already knew everything, and told me: “It is the Madonna who does it all. We open our heart, and she tells us what to do.”