The Italian became the most successful Inter coach of the last 30 years with a hat-trick of title wins at the San Siro, but was a surprise choice to enter the Premier League when he replaced Mark Hughes at Manchester City.

As a player, Mancini was the youngest to compete in Italy's top flight when he made his debut for Bologna in 1981. A year later he moved to Sampdoria to begin a 15-year career at the Genoa-based club and won four Italian Cups, one UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and one Serie A title.

He impressed enough to warrant an international call and made his debut in 1984 in a friendly against Canada. He would go on to play 36 internationals, scoring four goals.

He moved to Lazio in 1997 where he was reunited with his former Sampdoria coach, Sven-Goran Eriksson and he won a second Serie A title in 2000. A year later he started his coaching career as Eriksson's assistant.

In January 2001, he made the move to England with Leicester City - moving on loan - but returned after four games to coach Fiorentina who he led to an Italian Cup triumph.

He lasted just a year, as the club was headed towards bankruptcy, before he resigned and returned to coach Lazio. Despite the sale of key players such as Alessandro Nesta and Hernan Crespo and the threat of bankruptcy, he steered the club to fourth in Serie A.

More silverware followed as he helped the club to the Italian Cup in 2004, beating Juventus in the final, and finishing sixth in the league for a UEFA Cup berth. But he was released from his contract by Lazio and wasted little time in joining Inter Milan.

Mancini led Inter to the Italian Cup in 2005 and 2006 and consecutive Serie A titles in 2006, 2007 and 2008. He courted controversy in March 2008, when he said he wanted to quit at end of season (following Inter's Champions League last-16 elimination by Liverpool), only to change his mind the next day. He didn't last much longer though, as he was sacked at the end of the campaign.

A few links to English clubs surfaced - including Notts County - but he would shock the footballing world when he turned up at the world's richest club. Sealing the club's highest ever Premier League finish - 5th - he gained Champions League football the following season and delivered silverware at big-spending Eastlands for the first time since 1976 with an FA Cup win.

Strengths: A good man-manager, he has his own vision of how his players should perform and is willing to shake things up in order to make it happen. He knows English football as well.

Weaknesses: Not much experience in pressure situations and he has been known to lose his temper on the touchline easily. Not totally convincing with some of his tactical changes.

Career high: Sealing three back-to-back Serie A titles, despite the first coming as a result of the Calciopoli scandal.

Career low: A horror spell with Fiorentina saw him resign in January 2002 with the club second-bottom of Serie A and edging towards bankruptcy, which ultimately they managed in June.

Tactics: Basing his side's on a tough central midfield area, he commands a high work-rate from his players and likes to play with speedy wide-men who can stretch the game and counter attack quickly.

Quotes: "I think we are all human and we all make mistakes, often. Every day you make mistakes and I have often made them, but when I make mistakes I try to improve." Roberto Mancini.

Trivia: Mancini's sons Filippo and Andrea have both played in the Internazionale youth ranks.