Roberto Mancini succeeded Mark Hughes as City manager on December 19, 2009.

The 45-year-old Italian’s previous job had been coach of Inter Milan where he enjoyed enormous success.

He won three league titles and two Italian Cups and won almost 62% of his 226 games at the helm.

Mancini’s playing career was no less glittering spanning twenty years at the top.

A striker by profession he made more than 700 domestic and European appearances scoring 206 goals along the way for Bologna, Sampdoria and Lazio.

His final matches as a player were in a Leicester City shirt at the age of 36. He earned 36 senior caps for his country to add to the 26 gained at under 21 level.  He won two Serie A titles and six Italian Cup winners medals as well as a pair of Uefa Cup winners’ medals.

His first steps in management came at Fiorentina and Lazio before he moved on to Inter.

Roberto’s son Filippo spent several months on loan at City during the tenure of Sven-Goran Eriksson.