Soccer: Mancini named Fiorentina coach

Roberto Mancini, recently on loan at Leicester City, has been appointed new coach to Italian Serie A side Fiorentina, the club's vice-president Mario Sconcerti has announced.

Mancini, who played five games for the Foxes, was named just hours after his Turkish predecessor Fatih Terim resigned.

He takes over at a club in crisis with Fiorentina's director general Giancarlo Antognoni also quitting as did Terim's Turkish assistants, his number two Antonio Di Gennaro and goalkeeping coach Andrea Pazzagli in a show of support for Terim.

Mancini had assisted new England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson at Lazio earlier this season.

Earlier Azeglio Vicini, president of Italy's Association of Football Coaches, had said Mancini could not coach Fiorentina this season because he had been registered with Lazio, but Sconcerti's announcement now seems to have settled the matter.

Sconcerti insisted: "From Thursday Mancini will be in Florence to train Fiorentina with (Luciano) Chiarugi who has been promoted from the youth team (coach) to the first team squad."

Mancini joined Leicester on a short-term deal until the end of the season and made his last appearance for the Foxes as a substitute at Everton on February 10.

He was allowed to miss the FA Cup tie with Bristol City to return to Italy to discuss the chance of taking up a coaching role.