CARLOS TEVEZ has been told to report to Manchester City’s training ground this morning but it is far from certain he will meet Roberto Mancini for the first time since his abrupt departure for Buenos Aires three months ago.
All parties are cautiously optimistic the Argentina forward is ready to apologise to the manager he claims treated him “like a dog” during the infamous Champions League game against Bayern Munich last September, during which Tevez refused to warm up.
With Mancini and City seemingly in pragmatic mode, it appears that rehabilitating the team’s former captain is regarded as a lesser evil than watching him turn into a rapidly depreciating asset.
Even so, the club insist Tevez must pay the fine of six weeks’ wages – €1.43 million – imposed for his going awol.
For his part Tevez, effectively backed into a corner after his advisers failed to secure him a transfer last month, is said to be anxious to play some part in City’s attempts to win the title.
He had an appointment with City’s doctor at 5pm yesterday following his return to Manchester after an overnight flight from South America.
Although Mancini’s squad, minus Tevez, fly to Porto today for tomorrow’s Europa League tie, they are scheduled to train at their Carrington base before heading to the airport.
This offers a chance for the Argentina striker to meet a manager unlikely to be impressed by the defiant interview Tevez gave shortly before departing Buenos Aires.
“From a football point of view Carlos can only be an asset,” said Kia Joorabchian, Tevez’s adviser yesterday. “Clearly he has a lot of repairs to do with the fans. He is ready to apologise.”
It is understood the striker has been in telephone contact with some City team-mates and is encouraged by the warmth of their welcomes.
Mancini and Tevez were at Carrington yesterday but with the former departing at 1.30pm and the latter arriving at 4.45pm, their paths did not cross.
City have also not yet responded to the television interview in Argentina, which included a claim from Tevez that Mancini treated him “like a dog” in Munich.
Tevez said Mancini had been angered by the reaction of striker Edin Dzeko to being substituted when the controversial incident involving him occurred.
Tevez said: “I was kind of in a bad mood and when he brings on [Nigel] de Jong and takes off Dzeko, and we’re losing 2-0, I thought it was a defensive substitution so I decided to sit back on the bench.
“I had already warmed up for 10 minutes and he has this attitude that he wants to lose 2-0 instead of 4-0. So I sat down and at the same time Dzeko comes off and is really angry and has a go at Mancini.
“He then sees the tunnel is closed so he has to sit down next to him and they start to have an argument. Dzeko was speaking Bosnian and Mancini would swear at him in Italian so it was a real mess.
“So I go and sit down and he doesn’t see me because he’s having this discussion. But then he turns around and sees me and you can imagine what happens.
“He’s in the middle of an argument so then he tells me to keep on warming up and treats me like a dog.”
GuardianService
