MOSCOW, June 1. /TASS/. Italian specialist Roberto Mancini has been appointed as the chief coach of FC Zenit St. Petersburg, the club’s website reported on Thursday.

The Italian has signed the contract for three years with an option of its extension for another two seasons.

"Football Club Zenit welcomes Roberto Mancini in Petersburg and wishes him luck as the chief coach of the ‘Dark blue-White-Light blues,’" the statement reads.

The FC Zenit Board of Directors decided on May 28 to sever a contract with Romanian specialist Mircea Lucescu who had been Zenit’s head coach from May 2016.

Mancini previously coached Italy’s FC Inter Milan in 2004-2008 and in 2014-2016. He also worked in the Italian football clubs Lazio and Fiorentina, the UK-based Manchester City and the Turkish Galatasaray.

As a coach, he won three Italian championships, four Italian Cups, one Italian Super Cup, one UK championship, a UK Cup and a UK Super Cup and a Turkish Cup.