Roberto Mancini believes he changed the dynamics of the rivalry between Manchester City and Manchester United during his time in the Premier League.
The 50-year-old led City to FA Cup glory in 2010-11 before guiding them to their first ever Premier League title in 2011-12.
Mancini thinks it was his arrival at the Etihad Stadium that turned the club into an equal rival for a United side that dominated the English top flight for so many years.
"I helped to change the dynamics of the Manchester derby and it was very difficult to do that," he told Qatar's Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy.
"United were a top club for many years and to achieve the status of equality was very tough.
"We bought a lot of good players who worked very hard and gave the club their first title win in a long time.
"I like to take up difficult challenges and work hard towards achieving my goals."
The Italian considers City to be the team of the highest quality in the Premier League, suggesting his legacy has much to do with that.
"Manchester City are the best team so far this season and have a good chance to win the title," he added.
"I am proud that the team, whose core I built, is doing well this year. But the Premier League is such a difficult championship in which you need to work really hard to win each and every game.
"City will face competition from Manchester United and Arsenal as it is now clear that Chelsea will find it difficult to finish in the top four."
‘After Manchester City’s recent form, maybe they’re the underdogs against Manchester United!’ Former Red Devils defender on this weekend’s derby
‘Arteta, Alonso, Emery, me… none of us were physical players – we needed the understanding of the game. That probably helped us move into management’: Premier League boss reveals reasons for natural career progression
