There could be a new element in the Serie A managerial merry-go-round amid reports Manuel Pellegrini is replacing Roberto Mancini at Manchester City.
There could be a new element in the Serie A managerial merry-go-round amid reports Manuel Pellegrini is replacing Roberto Mancini at Manchester City.
Italian newspapers have already been filled with speculation over who will go where, as jobs at Milan, Napoli, Roma and potentially also Juventus and Fiorentina are up in the air.
A new element in the mix is Mancini, who reports in Spain and England suggest will be sacked by Manchester City at the end of the season.
On the same day as he goes into the FA Cup Final against Wigan Athletic at Wembley, Mancio is reading about huge bets placed on Pellegrini taking over.
Spanish media claim Pellegrini told his Malaga players that he is leaving the club, which makes City the firm favourites.
Chilean Coach Pellegrini had also been linked with Inter, but their failure to qualify for Europe looks set to scupper that move.
Napoli could well go for Mancini, who has a good record of winning League titles in Italy and England, though has always struggled in Europe.
A return to Inter is unlikely, as he was sacked in bitter circumstances in 2008, while Roma and Milan – where he’d be reunited with Mario Balotelli – depend on him shaking off his history at their rivals Lazio and Inter.
A more romantic option would be Sampdoria, the club where Mancini spent most of his playing career from 1982-97 and remains a legend.
Delio Rossi took the Blucerchiati to safety after Ciro Ferrara was axed, but the port side has ambitious plans and had tried to sign Rafa Benitez at the start of the season despite being freshly promoted from Serie B.
Elsewhere, there is always the Paris Saint-Germain bench, as Carlo Ancelotti has been heavily linked with replacing Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid.
Mou is set for a return to Chelsea, as hinted at by interim manager Benitez.