Former Manchester City CEO Garry Cook feels that the club were right to sack Roberto Mancini as manager.

The Italian was relieved of his duties at the club this week after finishing second in the Premier League to Manchester United and losing the FA Cup final to Wigan Athletic last Saturday.

Cook admits that while he is a fan of Mancini, the results-driven nature of football means that the owners were within their rights to remove the manager from his position at the Etihad.

"I am a great fan of Roberto - I brought him into the club for the right reasons and he executed on the reasons we brought him in for [but] everyone has a lifespan," Cook was quoted as saying in the Daily Mail.

"It is judged on the ambition of owners. If the owners don't feel results are what they want then a different conversation will be had.

"There is not a more competitive man than Roberto Mancini. He is his own biggest critic. That's a passion you have to admire and you have to love that. But the game is judged on results."

Mancini was sacked just 366 days after leading the club to their first league title for 44 years.