Manchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano explained the club's reasons for firing Roberto Mancini as manager, while claiming the English Premier League side were looking to make "beautiful football" their identity.

Mancini was let go by City last week after three years at the helm, in which he won the F.A. Cup title in 2011 and the Premier League crown in 2012.

The Italian's successor is expected to be Manuel Pellegrini, after the Malaga manager confirmed he would be leaving the Spanish club at the end of the season, and Soriano believes it is time for a "new cycle" at Manchester City.

"He (Mancini) did very good things for the club," Soriano told CNN. "He stayed there for three years, which is a lot of time. He brought the club to a winning club.

"Now we are just looking for the next step, the next cycle.

"We have a fantastic squad. We want to play better football and we want to continue winning.

"It is not that Mancini did anything wrong. We are just in another cycle, in another era."

The fact that executives think three years is a long time in itself might be the biggest problem, but Soriano said playing an attractive style was key to City's future.

"We are looking to play very good football, very beautiful football," he said. "When we are playing good football, then we will win.

"So it is not only about winning, it is developing football that is attractive and it will be played by our main teams, our first team in Manchester, our young teams in Manchester and also our teams in New York.

"We want to share the same football concepts across all our teams."

Pellegrini looks like being that man in which City will put their trust to bring "beautiful football" with the experienced manager moving ever closer to the job at the Etihad following his announcement of leaving Malaga for "sporting reasons."

"My coaching staff and I have separated from Malaga but our union with this city will be eternal," he said. "We had a time with the club that was very rewarding. Everyone has the right to move on.

"Sunday will be my last match at La Rosaleda and will be very exciting for me. I'm not leaving due to the matter of money but looking for a project that allows me to develop my profession conveniently.

"I'm going for sporting reasons. We leave the club qualified for Europe with the mission accomplished but it is unfortunate that this project changed."

"Everyone has the right and obligation to follow his path and Malaga has to take another. The club has the need and the obligation to have a realistic project.

"Malaga has a story without Manuel Pellegrini, and (is) also going to have a future without Manuel Pellegrini. (I have) an eternal gratitude to the club's owners, who trusted me blindly."