Juventus chiefs met with Man City boss Mancini

Juventus held talks with Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini last week, it has been revealed.

The Sunday Mirror says Mancini mixed with the Juventus hierarchy at Fulham on Thursday, men like Roberto Bettega, the club’s former striker who in his current role as director-general will be key to deciding who succeeds Alberto Zaccheroni as coach at the end of the season.

Fiorentina’s Cesare ­Prandelli is the favourite to move to the Stadio Olimpico, although the Viola have offered him a five-year contract in a bid to kill off interest from Juventus and the Italian FA. But Mancini is next in line.

And after already succeeding Zaccheroni at Lazio and Inter Milan, the challenge of bringing the glory days back to the biggest club in Italy may prove to tempting.

A source close to Mancini said: “It would be hard for Roberto to turn down the Juventus job.

“It is seen as the biggest job in Italian football – the equivalent of being asked to manage Manchester United in England or Real Madrid in Spain.”