Bar set high for Mancini

– Roberto Mancini, the new manager of Russian Premier League giants Zenit St Petersburg, said this week he was targeting the national title and a place in the Champions League with his new club.

“Our main goal which the club president has set us – is to return to the Champions League next year by winning the national title,” the 52-year-old manager said at a special ceremony.

“We will play superb football, different from the other sides. Our goal is to win the Russian championship. And we can achieve it by establishing the mutual understanding between Zenit’s technical staff, the team’s current players and those, who will join the club in the future.”

Last week Zenit signed a threeyear deal with Mancini, who won three consecutive Italian Serie A titles with Inter Milan from 2006 to 2008 and led Manchester City to the English Premier League title in 2012.

Mancini became an immediate successor to Romanian coach Mircea Lucescu who was sacked after Zenit’s disappointing third place league finish, which saw them miss out on the Champions League next season. – AFP

Saint Petersburg