ROBERTO Mancini has been sacked as manager of Manchester City - a year to the day after leading the club to the English Premier League title.
DUMPED: Manchester City's manager Roberto Mancini.
City's shock FA Cup Final defeat by Wigan at Wembley on Saturday meant they ended this season...
without any silverware and strengthened rumours Mancini, who replaced Mark Hughes in 2009, was about to be sacked.
The club's Abu Dhabi-based owners confirmed the end of the Italian manager's three-and-a-half years at Eastlands overnight, with a City statement saying: "It is with regret that Manchester City Football Club announces that Roberto Mancini has been relieved of his duties as Manchester City manager.
"This has been a difficult decision for the owner, chairman and board to make and it is the outcome of a planned end-of-season review process that has been brought forward in light of recent speculation and out of respect for Roberto and his extensive contributions to the football club.
"Despite everyone's best efforts, the club has failed to achieve any of its stated targets this year, with the exception of qualification for next season's UEFA Champions League.
"This, combined with an identified need to develop a holistic approach to all aspects of football at the club, has meant that the decision has been taken to find a new manager for the 2013-14 season and beyond.''
City's Champions League qualification has been overshadowed by the uninspiring nature of their title defence, with the club a distant second to already crowned English champions Manchester United and 13 points adrift of their local rivals.
The 48-year-old Mancini's time at City saw the club win a first major trophy in 35 years with the 2011 FA Cup, while last season's Premier League title was their first top-flight crown since 1968 and saw the manager rewarded with a new five-year deal.
"Roberto's record speaks for itself, he has clearly secured the love and respect of our fans,'' said City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak.
"He has done as he promised and delivered silverware and success.''
But City's second successive group stage exit in as many seasons from the lucrative and prestigious European Champions League appears to have weighed heavily against Mancini, for all that fans were chanting his name during the FA Cup Final at Wembley.
That cut little ice with owner Sheikh Mansour, clearly demanding more from a colossal investment in City, whose reported wage bill of 200 million pounds ($308.93 million) is the highest in the Premier League.
Reports in Spain and England have suggested Manuel Pellegrini, the Malaga coach, is in line to succeed Mancini although the Chilean denied Monday he'd signed a contract with City chiefs.
Brian Kidd, Mancini's assistant, having performed a similar role at United and played for both Manchester clubs, will take charge of City's final two matches of the season, starting with the Premier League fixture away to Reading tomorrow.
Mancini's sacking came on the same day as United celebrated the 13th and final Premier League title of veteran manager Alex Ferguson's Old Trafford reign of more than 26 years with an open-top bus parade through Manchester.
The 71-year-old Scot is retiring at the end of the season having - unlike Mancini and many other managers - quit at a time of his own choosing.
Roberto Mancini facts and figures
Born: 27.11.1964 in Jesi, Italy
1981: Makes debut for Bologna as 17-year-old.
1982: Signs for Sampdoria. Scores four goals in 22 matches in his first season and wins the Coppa Italia in 1985, 1988 and 1989.
1990: Wins first European Cup Winners' Cup title as Sampdoria beat Anderlecht 2-0 in the final.
1991: Helps Sampdoria win Italian title for first time in club's history, scoring 12 goals
1997: Joins Lazio.
1999: Gains second Cup Winners' Cup title after a 2-1 win over Real Mallorca.
2000: Announces end of a playing 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 announces he will follow the coach out of the Stadio Olimpico. Makes playing comeback with Leicester, making five appearances for club.
March 7 - Returns to coaching, taking charge of Fiorentina.
June 13 - Earns first coaching honour as Fiorentina beat Parma in Coppa Italia final.
2002: January 11 - Resigns as Fiorentina coach with club second-bottom of Serie A.
May 9 - Lazio part with Alberto Zaccheroni and appoint Mancini as new coach.
2003: June - Lazio finish fourth in Serie A and qualify for the Champions League.
2004: May - Wins Coppa Italia, defeating Juventus 4-2.
July 7 - Takes over as coach of Inter Milan following resignation of Alberto Zaccheroni in June.
2005: Leads Inter to Coppa Italia and Italian Supercup glory.
2006: Again leads Inter to Coppa Italia and Italian Supercup triumphs. Inter also awarded Serie A title after Juventus and AC Milan are docked points due to match-fixing scandal.
2007: Guides Inter to successful defence of Serie A title.
2008: Announces plans to leave Inter but reverses his decision. Steers club to third straight Serie A title but is sacked the same month.
2009: Manchester City confirm the sacking of manager Mark Hughes, and announce the appointment of Mancini as his replacement.
2011: May - After bringing in the likes of David Silva and Yaya Toure in a pre-season spending spree, City finish third in the Premier League, securing qualification to the Champions League for the first time.
May 14 - Leads City to their first major silverware in 35 years as Yaya Toure's goal secures a 1-0 victory over Stoke in the FA Cup final.
2012: May - City clinch their first league title in 44 years as Sergio Aguero's dramatic late winner against QPR sees Mancini's men pip Manchester United to top spot on goal difference.
July 9 - Agrees a new five-year contract at City, supposedly keeping him at the club until 2017.
December 4 - Champions League campaign ends without a single win in Group D - with the bottom placing meaning they miss out on Europa League action.
2013: April 22 - Manchester United regain their Premier League title from City.
May 11 - Loses FA Cup final 1-0 to Wigan.
May 13 - Sacked as City manager.
DUMPED: Manchester City's manager Roberto Mancini.
City's shock FA Cup Final defeat by Wigan at Wembley on Saturday meant they ended this season...
without any silverware and strengthened rumours Mancini, who replaced Mark Hughes in 2009, was about to be sacked.
The club's Abu Dhabi-based owners confirmed the end of the Italian manager's three-and-a-half years at Eastlands overnight, with a City statement saying: "It is with regret that Manchester City Football Club announces that Roberto Mancini has been relieved of his duties as Manchester City manager.
"This has been a difficult decision for the owner, chairman and board to make and it is the outcome of a planned end-of-season review process that has been brought forward in light of recent speculation and out of respect for Roberto and his extensive contributions to the football club.
"Despite everyone's best efforts, the club has failed to achieve any of its stated targets this year, with the exception of qualification for next season's UEFA Champions League.
"This, combined with an identified need to develop a holistic approach to all aspects of football at the club, has meant that the decision has been taken to find a new manager for the 2013-14 season and beyond.''
City's Champions League qualification has been overshadowed by the uninspiring nature of their title defence, with the club a distant second to already crowned English champions Manchester United and 13 points adrift of their local rivals.
The 48-year-old Mancini's time at City saw the club win a first major trophy in 35 years with the 2011 FA Cup, while last season's Premier League title was their first top-flight crown since 1968 and saw the manager rewarded with a new five-year deal.
"Roberto's record speaks for itself, he has clearly secured the love and respect of our fans,'' said City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak.
"He has done as he promised and delivered silverware and success.''
But City's second successive group stage exit in as many seasons from the lucrative and prestigious European Champions League appears to have weighed heavily against Mancini, for all that fans were chanting his name during the FA Cup Final at Wembley.
That cut little ice with owner Sheikh Mansour, clearly demanding more from a colossal investment in City, whose reported wage bill of 200 million pounds ($308.93 million) is the highest in the Premier League.
Reports in Spain and England have suggested Manuel Pellegrini, the Malaga coach, is in line to succeed Mancini although the Chilean denied Monday he'd signed a contract with City chiefs.
Brian Kidd, Mancini's assistant, having performed a similar role at United and played for both Manchester clubs, will take charge of City's final two matches of the season, starting with the Premier League fixture away to Reading tomorrow.
Mancini's sacking came on the same day as United celebrated the 13th and final Premier League title of veteran manager Alex Ferguson's Old Trafford reign of more than 26 years with an open-top bus parade through Manchester.
The 71-year-old Scot is retiring at the end of the season having - unlike Mancini and many other managers - quit at a time of his own choosing.
Roberto Mancini facts and figures
Born: 27.11.1964 in Jesi, Italy
1981: Makes debut for Bologna as 17-year-old.
1982: Signs for Sampdoria. Scores four goals in 22 matches in his first season and wins the Coppa Italia in 1985, 1988 and 1989.
1990: Wins first European Cup Winners' Cup title as Sampdoria beat Anderlecht 2-0 in the final.
1991: Helps Sampdoria win Italian title for first time in club's history, scoring 12 goals
1997: Joins Lazio.
1999: Gains second Cup Winners' Cup title after a 2-1 win over Real Mallorca.
2000: Announces end of a playing 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 announces he will follow the coach out of the Stadio Olimpico. Makes playing comeback with Leicester, making five appearances for club.
March 7 - Returns to coaching, taking charge of Fiorentina.
June 13 - Earns first coaching honour as Fiorentina beat Parma in Coppa Italia final.
2002: January 11 - Resigns as Fiorentina coach with club second-bottom of Serie A.
May 9 - Lazio part with Alberto Zaccheroni and appoint Mancini as new coach.
2003: June - Lazio finish fourth in Serie A and qualify for the Champions League.
2004: May - Wins Coppa Italia, defeating Juventus 4-2.
July 7 - Takes over as coach of Inter Milan following resignation of Alberto Zaccheroni in June.
2005: Leads Inter to Coppa Italia and Italian Supercup glory.
2006: Again leads Inter to Coppa Italia and Italian Supercup triumphs. Inter also awarded Serie A title after Juventus and AC Milan are docked points due to match-fixing scandal.
2007: Guides Inter to successful defence of Serie A title.
2008: Announces plans to leave Inter but reverses his decision. Steers club to third straight Serie A title but is sacked the same month.
2009: Manchester City confirm the sacking of manager Mark Hughes, and announce the appointment of Mancini as his replacement.
2011: May - After bringing in the likes of David Silva and Yaya Toure in a pre-season spending spree, City finish third in the Premier League, securing qualification to the Champions League for the first time.
May 14 - Leads City to their first major silverware in 35 years as Yaya Toure's goal secures a 1-0 victory over Stoke in the FA Cup final.
2012: May - City clinch their first league title in 44 years as Sergio Aguero's dramatic late winner against QPR sees Mancini's men pip Manchester United to top spot on goal difference.
July 9 - Agrees a new five-year contract at City, supposedly keeping him at the club until 2017.
December 4 - Champions League campaign ends without a single win in Group D - with the bottom placing meaning they miss out on Europa League action.
2013: April 22 - Manchester United regain their Premier League title from City.
May 11 - Loses FA Cup final 1-0 to Wigan.
May 13 - Sacked as City manager.
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