Reports: Manchester City to fire manager Roberto Mancini this week

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini's club suffered a monumental upset on Saturday when it lost to Wigan in the FA Cup final. (Michael Regan/The FA Collection/Getty Images)

After being upset by Wigan in the FA Cup final on Saturday, Manchester City plans to fire manager Roberto Mancini sometime this week, according to multiple reports.

Mancini's contract will be terminated by the club's Abu Dhabi hierarchy before a postseason trip to the United States next Monday, reports the Telegraph's Mark Ogden, and possibly even before the team's match against Reading on Tuesday.

The loss to Wigan, which at 9-19-8 entered the match in danger of relegation, was the tipping point for Mancini, who led City to an English Premier League championship last season but has failed to build on that success.

Malaga coach Manuel Pellegrini will succeed Mancini, according to the Telegraph:

Mancini’s position had been in doubt for weeks following his failure to meet his two pre-season targets of winning the Premier League title and progressing from the Champions League group stages.

But his prospects appeared to take a nosedive two weeks ago when it emerged that City’s sporting director Txiki Begiristain had met Pellegrini’s agent, Jesus Martinez, in Madrid.

From the Guardian's Jamie Jackson:

Then he railed at the club for not denying the stories regarding Pellegrini, an illustration of Mancini's brusque style that has not endeared him to City's players or some members of staff.

This and other factors have caused City's Abu Dhabi executive to lose confidence in Mancini, who was given a five-year contract last summer after leading the club to a first top-flight title in 44 years.