If not for the disease called democracy, kingdoms and empires used to be modeled according to the frame of its leader. There’s a sharp difference between the Mongolian empire and Rome during the reigns of Genghis Khan and Julius Caesar yet one could, in those days, easily pitch their empires with their personas.

Khan was a warrior. Caesar was a politician. Caesar died same way politicians die – usually how they get there – by treachery and betrayal. Khan died a warrior. People have alternate histories as to how he actually died but it comes down to two routes: either he died peacefully on his bed or he died in the battlefield roaring into the great beyond.

Today we have democracy and it is everywhere. Mostly characterized by holding power without really having any soul in the game and being easily removed when you stop pleasing your pay masters.

Could anything look more modelled as how football is operated today? Roberto Mancini is back at Inter Milan and to most people’s surprise who tipped AC Milan to be the capital club that does well this season, given the young talent in their squad, Inter has turned out to be the team that is matching Juventus toe to toe.

And then you remember it is Mancini, one of the few charismatic managers left in the beautiful game.

Before Jose Mourinho, Mancini was the man who installed team discipline. Then he left for Manchester City and for all the friction that happened there, he was still able to command The Citizens to follow his lead. Same goes for his time with the Italian national side.

The point is he may not be the new world order celebrated cerebral coaches but he remains one of the few capable of not just giving direction but ensuring his troops follow it. And sometimes, that’s all a team needs.

Juventus has the money, history and Ronaldo but if Inter Milan can follow Roberto Mancini, as uptight as he may be, they stand at a good chance of rewriting their history.