MANCHESTER City have sacked Mark Hughes and appointed Italian Roberto Mancini as their new manager.
Here is a look at some of the key dates and honours in Mancini's career so far:
1964: Born on November 27, Jesi, Italy.
1981: Makes debut for Bologna as 17-year-old and goes on to score nine goals in 30 matches in 1981/82 season.
1982: Signs for Sampdoria and begins 15-year love affair with the club. Scores four goals in 22 matches in his first season.
1985: Helps Samp to Coppa Italia triumph.
1988: Wins second Coppa Italia.
1989:
Wins third Coppa Italia.
1989/90: Reaches double figures for first time in his career, scoring 11 goals in 31 games, but is on the losing side as Barcelona beat Samp 2-0 in European Cup Winners’ Cup final in Gothenburg.
1991: Sampdoria win Scudetto for first time in club’s history, with Mancini hitting 12 goals and forging impressive partnership with 19-goal striker Gianluca Vialli.
1992: Suffers disappointment as Samp lose 1-0 to Barcelona at Wembley in European Cup final.
1994: Wins fourth Coppa Italia with Samp.
1996/97: Scores 15 goals in 33 Serie A games, equalling his best haul, before signing for Lazio.
1998: Helps Lazio win Coppa Italia.
1999: Wins second European title of his career as Lazio defeat Real Mallorca 2-1 in Birmingham, England.
1999/2000: Fails to score in 20 matches as Lazio win Scudetto and Coppa Italia and announces playing retirement after career which saw him represent Italy 36 times. Joins Lazio’s coaching staff as Sven-Goran Eriksson’s number two.
2001: January - Eriksson resigns and Mancini follows against wishes of Lazio president Sergio Cragnotti. Decides to make playing comeback with Leicester City in English Premiership and makes five appearances.
March 7 - Italian Football Federation president Gianni Petrucci allows Mancini to become Fiorentina coach despite not being in position of Serie A coaching badge.
June 13 - Earns first coaching honour as Fiorentina beat Parma 2-1 over two legs of Coppa Italia final.
2002: January 11 - Resigns with Fiorentina second-bottom of Serie A.
May 9 - Appointed Lazio coach.
2003: June - Lazio finish fourth in Serie A and qualify for the Champions League, despite severe financial difficulties which cast a shadow over the club’s fine form on the pitch.
2004: May - Wins Coppa Italia, defeating Juventus 4-2 on aggregate over two legs.
July 7 - Takes over as coach of Inter Milan.
2004/2005: Leads Inter to Coppa Italia and Italian Supercup glory.
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.
2006/2007 - Guides Inter to successful defence of Serie A title.
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.
March 12 - Reverses his decision to leave Inter.
May 18 - Guides Inter to third consecutive Scudetto with 2-0 win over Parma.
May 24 - Mancini’s Inter go down 2-1 to Roma in Coppa Italia final.
May 27 - Mancini holds meeting with president Massimo Moratti after which his agent Giorgio de Giorgis claims club and coach have parted ways.
May 29 - Sacked as Inter coach.
September 9 - Named Serie A’s top coach for the previous season, despite being sacked and replaced by Jose Mourinho at the San Siro.
2009: February 9 - Not considered to be a candidate to replace Luiz Felipe Scolari at Chelsea, according to his agent Giorgio De Giorgis.
May 31 - Mancini’s agent says the Italian has not been approached by Sunderland.
July 4 - Mancini admits he is attracted by the Barclays Premier League.
September 28 - Mancini says he is prepared to bide his time as he is linked with League Two side Notts County.
December 19 - Manchester City confirm the departure of Mark Hughes, with Mancini immediately installed as his successor.
What do you think? Have your say.
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Bert Trautmann's FG42 , The Eastern Front of Manchester (19/12/2009 at 20:03)
Hopefully, Khaldoon (being Mancini's mate) will be proved right by this decision.
Bert is my hero, Cheshire! (19/12/2009 at 20:07)
Esso Blue In the CITY, Manchester (19/12/2009 at 20:11)
HAYMAN BACK IN BOLTON, WESTHOUGHTON (19/12/2009 at 20:27)
Lagos Kev, Nigeria West Africa (19/12/2009 at 20:30)
Lagos Kev, Nigeria West Africa (19/12/2009 at 20:33)
one paul moulden, croston (19/12/2009 at 20:36)
CTID Block 219 (19/12/2009 at 20:39)
Welcome to Manchester Roberto, I'm glad to see Brian Kidd has been appointed Assistant Manager, not only does he know the premier league but he is in my opinion one of the best coaches around, never really cut it as a number 1 but is a great coach...
CTID
frank clarke's guitar tutor, warrington (19/12/2009 at 20:49)
Kent Blue, Kent (19/12/2009 at 21:20)
fergus loves the blues, horsham (19/12/2009 at 21:25)
karen tyler (19/12/2009 at 21:30)
He is foreign and handsome - the future is looking better than ever!!!!!!!
Crusty Cobgoblin, down the road (19/12/2009 at 21:31)
Edwardo'(Gerry Craney's love child), Sale (19/12/2009 at 21:55)
Michael Frontzek's slippers, Stockport (19/12/2009 at 21:57)
This guy knows nothing of the prem I think he could sacrifice players of NJD ilk and sign a play maker this is not suited to the prem.
Although I liked Hughes his backroom staff were very poor who in the right mind if you were a big world player listen to the former Norwich full back Bowen? The backroom staff will be very good in the Championship there not Prem never will be.
Leslie Bishop (19/12/2009 at 22:01)
Sean Lynch (19/12/2009 at 22:44)
He watched the game today and will know that defence is costing us too many points.
I believe the decision to relieve Sparky of his duties came after the Hull debacle at home, it is said that the Chairman was furious and decided there and then that Mark was not the man to take us forward, all this has clearly being in progress for the last 2/3 weeks, I think it was done with professional precision, and with no nonsense. Great for Kiddo as well a true Mancunian and was a great player for City for 2 1/2 years until Malcolm got rid of everyone that was any good!!
Jack Thorley Trafford, Timperley (19/12/2009 at 23:41)
He he is the Italian version of Sven!
Brian Kidd may be prove to be his saviour,but I fear that Brian may only be filling in until the end of the season when he brings in all his mates.
There is some suggestion that City have a get out clause after 6 months if he does not produce the goods,I truly hope we will not need it,but this appointment does not inspire me at all!
luvpump, mars (20/12/2009 at 00:26)
Happy To Be Blue, Manchester (20/12/2009 at 02:43)
I'm afraid I see this one ending in tears. Again.
So sorry.
Sid Bkk, Bangkok (20/12/2009 at 03:28)
City Forever
peter cooper (20/12/2009 at 04:44)
peter cooper (20/12/2009 at 04:46)
subahu (20/12/2009 at 08:14)
I think that they should have left Mark Hughes in place until they got a really top manager. I have to ask myself if Mancini was so great then why did no-one apart from Notts County want him? I wonder if he had a chance to buy the league at Inter Milan.
In the Sheikh's defence Mark Hughes spent loads on the defence and it is worse than when he took over, maybe Mark Hughes would have been successful if given more time but I doubt it based on what he bought (Lescott) and what I saw on the pitch.
To me, leaving Silvinho to face Lennon at Spurs was a massive mistake and he should have known this especially after Lennon got past Silvinho three times in 25 minutes. Surely it would have been better to have kept Dunne than to take on a 36 year old?
Bellamy's Putter (20/12/2009 at 10:19)