City's failure in Europe results in Mancini's downfall

Roberto Mancini looks dejected during the FA Cup Final against Wigan Athletic at Wembley Stadium on May 11, 2013. The Italian’s four-year reign as manager of Manchester City looks set to come to an end. (Getty Images)

Make a list of the eight “biggest” clubs in Europe, taking into account economic clout as well as ability, and, while you might quibble over the odd one, you’d probably end up with a list that read something like: Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Paris St Germain, Juventus. Of those clubs, at least six and possibly seven will change their managers before the start of next season. Only Antonio Conte remains safe.

Roberto Mancini is the latest of that group to go, his dismissal likely to be confirmed later this week with Manuel Pellegrini set to replace him. His fate was sealed, it seems, before Saturday’s FA Cup final defeat to Wigan Athletic – and may even have contributed to City’s flat display. It says much for the change in City’s status that second in the league and a place in a Cup final were deemed inadequate – and it is intriguing too that fans, by and large, have remained supportive of Mancini, as though their expectations haven’t kept pace with those of the board.

This is the logic of Europe’s superclubs, whose might is only going to grow in the world of Financial Fair Play (FFP) in which smaller sides are unable to gamble to try to break their hegemony, in which the Champions League will self-perpetuate its elite even more than it already does with the pressure on coaches to deliver being tougher than ever. Already these clubs are beginning to transcend their national leagues: look at the ease with which the titles were won in Spain, Italy, England, Germany and France. In some cases there is only one superclub, in others only two, so an iffy season from one allows the other to streak ahead.

The Champions League, increasingly, becomes the most important competition, and Mancini has paid for his failure in that. City had a tough group, with both Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund (who are not one of the superclubs: their wage bill is less than half that of Bayern and they have to sell off at least one key player a summer; their success cannot be maintained), but even so, their underperformance was shocking. Real Madrid opened the door, but City missed their chance with two poor displays against Ajax and so ended with the worst record of any English team ever in the group stage.

Mancini’s record generally in Europe is awful and that hints at tactical failings. When the assembled might of his squad is not enough to overwhelm opponents, he has rarely shown he has the tactical nous to out-think opposing coaches. More than that, his relations with a number of players are poor and there have been constant reports of conflict. That may not matter too much if it were bringing trophies but this season it hasn’t – and in his book on the business of football, City’s chief executive Ferran Soriano praises Frank Rijkaard for getting on so well with his players during his time as Barcelona coach. That, presumably, is his model for management.

Given that background, it’s hardly surprising City have chosen to act at a time when other clubs are also in flux. Their fans will always be grateful for a first league title since 1968 but for the modern super-club that isn’t enough.