Roberto Mancini has been sacked as Manchester City manager exactly one year after winning the Premier League. The club said the Italian manager "had failed to achieve any of the club's targets, with the exception of qualification for next season's Champions League". Assistant Brian Kidd will be in charge for the final two games of the season and the summer tour to America.
Malaga's Chilean coach Manuel Pellegrini has been tipped to replace Mancini but the former Real Madrid manager insisted there was no deal in place for him to become the new City supremo. "I deny here and now being the new coach of Manchester City," he said after Malaga's Primera Division draw with Sevilla. "I haven't signed any agreement with anybody."
Manchester City released a statement thanking former Inter Milan boss Mancini for the job he had done since joining the club in December 2009. "Roberto's record speaks for itself, he secured the love and respect of fans," said chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak. "He has done as he promised and delivered silverware and success." The club added it was "a difficult decision" to let Mancini go, explaining it was "the outcome of a planned end of season review process that has been brought forward in light of recent speculation".
The 48-year-old Italian boss replaced Mark Hughes in 2009, winning the FA Cup in 2011 and City's first top-flight league title for 44 years in 2012, exactly a year to the day before his sacking. In July 2012, he had signed a new five-year deal with the club. But this season City were unable to challenge champions Manchester United in the Premier League, went out of the Champions League in the group stages and finally lost the FA Cup final to Wigan.
City have two games remaining in the Premier League this season as they face Reading away on Tuesday before facing Norwich at home on Sunday. Here are the odds for the Reading match at Bet365:
Reading win - 5/1
Draw - 10/3
Manchester City win - 3/5
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