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Onuoha has failed to feature regularly in the City team under Roberto Mancini and spent last season on loan at Sunderland. Adam Davy/EMPICS Sport
Trouble

City officials in hot water as offensive email sent to player's mother

Dr Anthonia Onuoha describes receiving the email allegedly sent from Garry Cook’s account as “even worse than being diagnosed with cancer”.

MAN CITY CHIEF executive Garry Cook is currently at the centre of a row relating to an offensive email sent to Nedum Onuoha’s cancer-stricken mother, Dr Anthonia Onuoha.

The chief executive was forced to deny allegations that he sent the email in question, claiming that he was on holiday at the time and that a staff member hacked his account and sent it as a joke.

Dr Onuoha had previously sent Cook an email saying that she would continue to serve as her son’s agent, despite being “ravaged with cancer”.

The subsequent email, which was addressed to City’s football administrator Brian Marwood, appeared to mock Dr Onuoha. It read:

“Ravaged with it!!……..I don’t know how you sleep at night. You used to be such a nice man when I worked with you at Nike. G”

City have launched an internal investigation into the matter, while Dr Onuoha spoke of her emotional distress upon receiving the email, telling the Sun:

“When I opened my emails and saw the message, it was the worst day of my life, even worse than being diagnosed with cancer. I couldn’t understand how anybody could behave like that. I just cried and cried for hours.”

Dr Onuoha has called for the FA and Premier League to “take the appropriate action”, while Cook assured her that “disciplinary action is currently underway regarding one of our employees”.

It is not the first time that Cook has been at the centre of controversy. He was previously criticised for calling AC Milan ‘bottlers’ after they rejected City’s attempts to sign Kaka, while also causing trouble when he guaranteed his club would beat Man United in the 2010 Carling Cup semi-final.

For more information, read the Sun>

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