Source: Daily_Mail
Three Scudettos and a relegation. Is Mancini really the right man for City?
On the face of it, new Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini boasts an impressive managerial track record in football. [LNB]Guiding Inter Milan to three successive Serie A titles in his native Italy in recent years has elevated him into the pantheon of elite continental managers whose names are reliably trotted out when the big jobs become available. [LNB] Golden hello: Manchester City fans will be hoping former Inter Milan manager Roberto Mancini can win honours at Eastlands now he has replaced Mark Hughes[LNB]But Mancini has enough blots on his managerial c.v to surely make eventhe most ardent critics of the ousted Mark Hughes question the wisdomof the appointment.[LNB]As a player, Mancini was beyond reproach. More than 200 goals at club level in a stellar 20-year career spent largely at Sampdoria were supplemented by more than 30 appearances for the Italy national side. [LNB]His move into management following retirement was largely seamless, too. [LNB] Double act: Mancini took his first steps into coaching at Lazio with ex-England head coach Sven Goran Eriksson[LNB]After a year as assistant to Sven-Goran Eriksson at Lazio - and asubsequent brief foray as a player at Leicester - his first seniorcoaching role came with Fiorentina in March 2001.[LNB]ROBERTO MANCINI FACTFILE1964: Born on November 27, Jesi, Italy.[LNB]1981: Makes debut for Bologna as 17-year-old and goes on to score nine goals in 30 matches in 1981/82 season.[LNB]1982: Signs for Sampdoria and begins 15-year love affair with the club.[LNB]1985: Helps Sampdoria to Coppa Italia triumph.[LNB]1988: Wins second Coppa Italia.[LNB]1989: Wins third Coppa Italia.[LNB]1989/90: European Cup Winners' Cup runner-up after Barcelona beat Sampdoria.[LNB]1991: Sampdoria win Scudetto for first time in club's history.[LNB]1992: European Cup runner-up at Wembey losing 1-0 to Barcelona.[LNB]1994: Wins fourth Coppa Italia with Sampdoria.[LNB]1996/97: Scores 15 goals in 33 Serie A games, equalling his best haul, before signing for Lazio.[LNB]1998: Helps Lazio win Coppa Italia.[LNB]1999: Wins second European title of his career as Lazio defeat Real Mallorca 2-1 in UEFA Cup final at Villa Park.[LNB]1999/2000: Lazio win Scudetto and Coppa Italiaand announces playing retirement after career which saw him represent Italy 36 times. Joins Lazio's coaching staff as Sven-Goran Eriksson's number two.[LNB]2001: January - Eriksson resigns and Mancini follows. Decides to make playing comeback with Leicester Cityand makes five appearances (right).[LNB]March 7 - Italian FootballFederation president Gianni Petrucci allows Mancini to becomeFiorentina coach despite not being in position of Serie A coachingbadge.[LNB] June 13 - Earns first coaching honour as Fiorentina beat Parma 2-1 over two legs of Coppa Italia final.[LNB]2002: January 11 - Resigns with Fiorentina second-bottom of Serie A.[LNB]May 9 - Appointed Lazio coach.[LNB]2003: June - Lazio finish fourth in Serie A and qualify for the Champions League, despite severe financial woes.[LNB]2004: May - Wins Coppa Italia, defeating Juventus 4-2 on aggregate over two legs.[LNB]July 7 - Takes over as coach of Inter Milan.[LNB]2004/2005: Leads Inter to Coppa Italia and Italian Supercup glory.[LNB]2005/2006: Again leads Inter to Coppa Italia and Italian Supercup success. Inter also awarded Scudetto after Juventus and AC Milan are stripped of points due to match-fixing scandal.[LNB]2006/2007: Guides Inter to successful defence of Serie A title.[LNB]2008: March 11 - Announces he plans to leave Inter at end of season at post-match press conference following his side's Champions League exit at hands of Liverpool.[LNB]March 12 - Reverses his decision to leave Inter.[LNB]May 18 - Guides Inter to third consecutive Scudetto with 2-0 win over Parma.[LNB]May 24 - Mancini's Inter go down 2-1 to Roma in Coppa Italia final.[LNB]May 29 - Sacked as Inter coach.[LNB]September 9 - Named Serie A's top coach for the previous season, despite being sacked and replaced by Jose Mourinho at the San Siro.[LNB]2009: July 4 - Mancini admits he is attracted by the Barclays Premier League.[LNB]September 28 - Mancini says he is prepared to bide his time as he is linked with League Two side Notts County.[LNB]December 19 - Manchester City confirm the departure of Mark Hughes, with Mancini immediately installed as his successor. [LNB]Two Coppa Italia wins followed, first with La Viola and then -having left Fiorentina with the club second-bottom of the league -after being appointed coach of Lazio. [LNB]Success in the Italian Cup fast became something of a habit and herepeated the trick twice more after taking over at Inter in 2004.[LNB]Mancini, however, has not been appointed manager of the richestfootball club in the world based on a few victories in a domestic cupcompetition.[LNB]His reputation has been built on Scudetto wins and, ironically enough,it is there his track record is called into question by some.[LNB]While the history books will record he was Inter's most successfulmanager in three decades during his time at the San Siro, the first ofhis titles in 2006 was claimed only after Juventus and AC Milan werestripped of points due to the Italian match-fixing scandal.[LNB]The relegation of Juve and a points deduction imposed on Milanskewed the subsequent campaign, which Inter won at a canter - 22 pointsclear of second-placed Roma. [LNB]While a third title arrived the next year, the writing was alreadyon the wall for Mancini, who had upset the Inter hierarchy with hisrepeated failure to transfer domestic success into a meaningfulChampions League run. [LNB]It was Mancini's announcement that he planned to leave Inter at theend of the 2007/08 season following his side's Champions League exit atthe hands of Liverpool that began the rot, and his subsequent moves toreverse his decision fell on deaf ears in the boardroom. [LNB]His relationship with the Italian media also deterioratedsignificantly during this period and, when his dismissal came in May2008, it was greeted with little surprise. [LNB]Nineteen months have now passed since Mancini last stood on thetouchline as a manager of a football club and he will be coming in coldto arguably the most high-profile job in world football at the presenttime. [LNB]Facing his first overseas managerial role, and at a club whereexpectations are high and patience levels low, will be a test unlikeany he has faced before - and the jury is well and truly out overwhether he will be up to the task. [LNB] Calling the shots: Mancini has a tough challenge ahead at ambitious Man City[LNB] Chelsea set to miss out on Guus Hiddink after Russia boss says he wants manager's roleBarcelona admit defeat in move for Man City forward Robinho...for nowInter Milan warn ex-boss Mancini not to try taking 'Super Mario' to EastlandsMANCHESTER CITY FC
