Mancini treated me like a dog - Tevez
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E-mail Shanghai Daily, February 15, 2012
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Carlos Tevez arrives at Ezeiza airport on the outskirts of Buenos Aires in Argentina with his wife Vanesa Mansillo and daughters Katie and Florencia (right) to board a flight to Paris on Monday. |
Manchester City's rebel striker Carlos Tevez left Argentina for England on Monday taking manager Roberto Mancini's olive branch with one hand and hurling an accusation he was treated "like a dog" with the other.
The 28-year-old is heading back to the Premier League club that he has not played for since September after defying Italian Mancini's instruction to warm up during the Champions League defeat at Bayern Munich.
Speaking for the first time since returning to his homeland without City's permission in November, Tevez gave his version of what happened in Germany.
He said Mancini had been arguing with striker Edin Dzeko who had just been substituted when the manager approached Tevez.
"He saw me on the bench and as he was angry, he sent me again like a dog to warm up. Because he said it to me in a bad tone I refused," Tevez told Fox Sports.
Mancini said at the time Tevez was "finished" at the league leader but has since hinted the striker could still play a part in their pursuit of a first league title since 1968.
Tevez said on Monday he would gladly play for the club again if Mancini was serious about having him back, and was aware he would have to pull out all the stops to win over fans who have burned shirts with his name on in anger at his behavior.
"If I was wrong, I say sorry. I sincerely believe I did not make a mistake," the former City captain added.
"If it's true (Mancini would welcome me back), of course I like that, if it's (meant) for the media, no."
He has pledged to give his all to the club he won the FA Cup with last term but will have raised some eyebrows with criticism of his manager's decision to go public with the saga.
"There the coach made a mistake," Tevez said. "The situation in Bayern could have been kept hidden, managed differently. (Mancini) could have left me out and later said 'Carlos is not well'. There are fights but you don't have to air them. We argued many times in the dressing room and on those occasions he didn't say he didn't want me (to play again).
"I had a good relationship with him and I believe he's a winner, he doesn't like to lose, and I'm also like that."
Tevez has been the subject of disciplinary action by the club, over both his refusal to warm up and his subsequent unauthorized departure to his homeland, but relations have thawed and Mancini has suggested he could play again. "Everyone knows Carlos is a top player," the manager said on Sunday. "If he was here and playing it would be better because Carlos can change games."
An adviser to Tevez's representative Kia Joorabchian, Paul McCarthy, said the striker was returning to England and could be playing for City in the next two to three weeks.
