Possible addition to the coaching staff?

After Liverpool's victory at San Siro this evening, Inter coach Roberto Mancini has announced he is standing down at the end of the season. This may be absurd - but could he be on his way to City?

His friendship with Mancini is no secret, and we are currently taking his son (seventeen year old forward Felipo Mancini) on loan. At the time of the deal, Sven said something about how if Felipo was half as good as Roberto he would be a very good player indeed. When it was rumoured that Elano would be going to Inter, SGE pointed out his weekly contact with Mancini, in which such a transfer had never been mentioned, as proof against the rumours. So they're clearly extremely close.

And if Mancini wants a change of tempo after the high profile Inter job, where better to come than City? His three managerial posts (Fiorentina, Lazio and Inter) have all been in Italy, and whilst he's done well in Italy he has never transferred that success into European competition. He may well seek some experience of football outside Italy - and where better than the league which provides half of this year's Champions' League quarter finalists?

Not only would such a move be good for Mancini - but he would be a real boost for City. The coaching team is strikingly old. Eric Steele is the youngest at 53, followed Hans Backe and Derek Fazackerley at 56, Sven himself now 60 years old - and Tord Grip is another ten years older than that. Having forty-three year old Mancini could help to bridge an age gap with our relatively young squad. Whilst this has been a successful season, there is a sense that we have come as far as we can with the current set up. Generally seen as a need for new players, it could also be relevant to the coaching set up. Who knows how the introduction of the man who won the last three Scudetti could improve us next year?

To be honest, I don't think this is particularly likely. But it's just about possible enough, and certainly sufficiently enticing, to be a hope worth entertaining.