City were relegated after this game and being skint had to sell our big earners to reduce the wages. Quinn had been at the club for a few years and was on big till, so was sold to newly promoted Sunderland.
Pretty sure that any comments made by him about being "sacked" are purely tongue in cheek. He was definitely a premiership player so a move was mutually beneficial.
He may have had a few harsh words to Alan Ball about the engame strat in that game, which probably made up his mind to sell him, but sacked...no way.
Daily Fail article is typically poorly researched and full of holes, e.g. Anelka cost a bit more than £1.3m (£12m IIRC) - Rosler is pictured wearing a kit worn in the 97/98 season (not 1996), so something else must have been the subject of his agony (probably relegation to Div 2 - or having to play with Lee Bradbury) or even this goal in the final home game - against QPR would you believe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWNjWfIHXL4&feature=fvwrel