Dec 2009: After sacking Mark Hughes, Manchester City confirm Roberto Mancini’s arrival on a three-and-a-half-year deal.

Dec 2009: Wrapped up in his soon-to-be trademark scarf, the Mancini era opens with a 2-0 Boxing Day with over Stoke – the first of four successive wins.

Jan 2010: Mancini makes his first City signing, luring former Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira back to the Premier League from old club Inter Milan.

April 2010: Mancini wins his first Manchester derby, a League Cup semi-final first leg, but loses this league clash after a last-minute Paul Scholes goal.

May 2010: City had moved into fourth place in the Premier League a few weeks earlier but defeat to Spurs sees them miss out on the Champions League

Aug 2010: Mancini begins revamping his squad, recruiting Aleksandar Kolarov, David Silva, Yaya Toure and Jerome Boateng.

Aug 2010: Mario Balotelli arrives, taking City’s summer spending to well over £100m, but the season is marked by mixed runs of form.

March 2011: City occupy top spot twice over the Christmas period but their form tails off and they dip out of the Europa League with defeat to Dynamo Kiev.

April 2011: The team replies strongly, though, winning eight of their next 10 – including a feisty FA Cup semi-final against neighbours United.

May 2011: City miss out on second place in the Premier League to Chelsea on goal difference but go on to win the FA Cup, beating Stoke at Wembley.

May 2011: Yaya Toure’s 74th-minute goal ensures City end a 35-year trophy drought.

Aug 2011: Sergio Aguero arrives for a club-record fee and City win 12 of the first 14. Mancini inflicts United’s worst loss since 1955 – a 6-1 thrashing.

Sept 2011: But there’s trouble with Tevez. Mancini brands him “finished” after a spat at Bayern Munich. The striker heads to Argentina for three months.

Nov 2011: Defeat to Napoli leaves City on the brink of a Champions League exit. They beat Bayern Munich a month later but finish third in their group.

March 2012: The Europa League is still to play for but despite a rousing rally, City lose out to Sporting Lisbon on away goals. Mancini takes the blame.

May 2012: The ultimate high comes two months later when Aguero’s dramatic winner against QPR wins City the title on goal difference.

May 2012: Mancini becomes the second Italian manager to win a Premier League title after Carlo Ancelotti with Chelsea in 2009/10.

Nov 2012: A 1-1 draw with Real Madrid sees City’s Champions League dream dashed for a second successive season.

Jan 2013: Reports emerge of a training-ground bust-up with volatile striker Balotelli, who soon leaves.

May 2013: City concede their Premier League title to United and then suffer a shock defeat to Wigan in the FA Cup final. Mancini is sacked two days later.