The ego has landed
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Tevez in sensational return as outcast makes up with Mancini for City's title run-in
Burying the hatchet: Roberto Mancini and Carlos Tevez
Manchester City's Carlos Tevez will make a sensational return to English football this week in yet another twist to this season's thrilling Premier League title race.
The controversial striker, in self-imposed exile in his native Argentina since November, is due to return to England in the next 72 hours, with Tevez and manager Roberto Mancini ready to put their high-profile dispute to one side to give City's title charge fresh impetus.
They face Aston Villa on Sunday in what Mancini describes as a 'difficult moment'.
Since 28-year-old Tevez decamped to South America - a move that has cost him £9million in fines and lost bonuses - City have been knocked out of three cup competitions and have given up a healthy lead in the Premier League after being overhauled by Manchester United yesterday.
'Everyone knows Tevez is a top player and it probably would have been better for us if he'd been here,' admitted Mancini, who said he was 'finished' with the player after he allegedly refused to warm up as substitute during a Champions League visit to Bayern Munich in September.
'Carlos can change a lot of games. If he comes back next week, maybe he can help us in the last three months. I don't know if he is in good condition or not. I don't think so because he hasn't played for four months. But Carlos recovers strength very quickly.
In the swing: Tevez has been busy during his self-imposed exile
'Carlos knows the situation. If he comes back, we talk. Why not? I don't have a problem.'
Tevez, who was captain when City ended a 35-year trophy drought by winning the FA Cup last May, will face a hostile reception from fans sickened by his absence and repeated desire to leave.
But he and Mancini are taking a more pragmatic view with City's title ambitions at stake. Tevez has been working every day with a fitness instructor in Argentina in preparation for his return, while Mancini also recognises he needs the player back.
WHAT'S HE BEEN DOING?
Carlos Tevez has been playing golf in Argentina while his row with City raged. These are the events that took him there: September 27 Mancini says Tevez is 'finished' at City, claiming he refused to come on against Bayern Munich.
September 28 Tevez insists he only refused to warm up.
October 12 After a two-week suspension, City confirm Tevez will face disciplinary proceedings.
October 13 Tevez is ordered to train alone on his return.
October 25 City find Tevez guilty of five breaches of contract, including refusing to play, and fine him four weeks' wages.
October 27 City halve Tevez's fine to two weeks' wages after a PFA ruling.
November 1 Mancini says Tevez could come back into his side, if he apologises.
November 9 Tevez fails to report for training and is understood to have returned to Argentina without permission.
December 22 City fine Tevez six weeks' wages for gross misconduct. He appeals.
January 7 Tevez's appeal is rejected by City, but he later takes his case to the Premier League.
February 12 Tevez is expected back at City within days. His bill for fines and lost wages now totals £9m.
Having failed to sell Tevez to AC Milan, Inter Milan or Paris St- Germain for the £25m asking price in January, Mancini does not want to rely on just Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko and the unreliable Mario Balotelli, who is suspended.
'We've played a lot of games with only one fit striker and against Everton in our last away game, we couldn't make any changes from the bench,' said Mancini.
The timing is perfect for Tevez. After Villa, City will have a two-week break before their next Premier League game against Blackburn. He is not eligible for City's Europa League game against Ajax on Thursday.
He was initially treated as a hero at City when he joined from Manchester United in 2009, was the joint-top scorer in the Premier League last season with 20 goals and is more experienced in the English game than any of City's other strikers.
Having averaged three goals a game at the start of the season, City have scored only three goals in their last six away games in the Premier League. Their most consistent striker, Aguero, has scored only once in his last six matches. Dzeko has managed just three goals in 16 games, while Balotelli, whose unreliability is causing concern, has not scored from open play for two months.
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hard to believe from this report. its like suarez sending a christmas card to Evra to kiss and make up
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He come back for his 9M
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City's attack is seriously in trouble when they encounter tough defence. Aguero is not enough to crack it alone even with the help of Sliva. City needs Tevez now, and Tevez want to play games. So why not just try to patch up?
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They are panicking so much that they have to ask CT to come back to save their title ambitions.
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CARLOS TEVEZ has accused Roberto Mancini of treating him 'like a dog' and branded the Manchester City boss 'a liar'.
Tev returns to City today after three months on strike.
He blasted Mancini as he recalled the night in Munich when Mancini rowed with Edin Dzeko, then turned on the Argentine striker.
Tev said: "He is in the middle of an argument so then he tells me to keep on warming up and treats me like a dog.
"So, when he spoke to me in that tone of voice I said 'No I'm not going out'.
"I was willing to play but the coach was in such a foul mood because he had that argument with Dzeko.
"He started on me as well, started swearing at me. That was because I was calm. Mancini said some horrible things to me."
The striker then claimed Mancini lied in the subsequent enquiry into what happened that night.
Tevez, 28, said: "I told Man City, 'I'm a Man City employee, you have to take care of me'. Mancini lied about me and the Man City directors knew it.
"They looked after Mancini. I wanted Man City to tell the truth to the fans."
City and Mancini had hoped the player would use yesterday's interview to apologise and make peace.
Now the Argy looks to have blown any chance of a reconciliation with the manager.
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Tevez: My Man City hell
HAPPY FAMILIES ... Tevez arrives at Argentine airport yesterday with wife and daughtersCARLOS TEVEZ has revealed he almost had a furious punch-up with Roberto Mancini as he lifted the lid on his troubled time under the Manchester City boss.
The striker returns from Argentina today after a three-month strike hoping to pick up the pieces of his football career.
But he admitted in an extraordinary interview the pair nearly came to blows following a home match against Newcastle last season. But for team-mates tearing both men apart, there would have been blood on the floor at the Etihad.
Tevez, 28, said: "Last year in the dressing room he was about to punch me — but he didn't sack me from the team.
"You have so many fights in a dressing room, it's normal, but Mancini was wrong. Against Newcastle last year we were separated by my team-mates because we wanted to punch each other.
"But we had a good relationship. We joked, we used to drink coffee together and laugh together. He is a winner — but I'm a winner, too."
That all changed of course after Tevez refused to continue warming up in a Champions League match against Bayern Munich last September.
Tevez says he will never apologise to Mancini because he has done nothing wrong. The Argentine striker also says he has fallen out of love with the club he helped to their first trophy in 35 years when he lifted the FA Cup last May.
Tevez said he took flight because he simply could not handle the situation any more.
He added: "I was feeling really bad so I decided to fly to Buenos Aires.
"I never told the club that I was flying there. The doctors at City saw me and they told the directors 'Carlos is suffering'.
"When people heard I didn't want to play against Bayern, they became mad with me. When I saw them burning shirts with my name on and hurling insults that hurt me.
"I was upset, so angry with the fans. I couldn't understand what was going on. I gave everything to that club. I haven't watched Man City in the last months, it's difficult for me. I don't remember Man City fans with love, not at all, but I understand the fans because City lied to them.
BENCH WARFARE ... Mancini falls out with Tevez in Munich after he refuses to warm-up"Mancini managed the situation after Bayern Munich so badly. "I was angry with Mancini, also because I was not the captain any more and he didn't explain that decision to me."
Tevez says Mancini would never have treated him the way did if he did not have new signings like Sergio 'Kun' Aguero, Mario Balotelli and also Edin Dzeko hitting form. He said: "I don't know if he would have done the things he did if this was last season.
"Last season, Man City was Tevez and no one else. But Dzeko, Kun and even Balotelli are playing well — so Mancini decided to sack me."
Mancini reiterated recently that Tevez would have to apologise for his actions in Munich if he ever wanted a chance to play for the club again.
That is now looking unlikely as he went on to explain in his interview in Argentina that was also shown here on Sky Sports News. Tevez said: "If it's true that Mancini wants me, I'm happy but I don't know if he is saying the truth because he is contradictory.
"Let's see what happens this week. I would say sorry if I was wrong.
"I was sacked by Man City through the back door but I want to be back and change things. If I score goals, people will love me again.
"I'm going back to Manchester because I want to win the love of the fans again. People have been against me since the game with Bayern."
The details of what went on the night in Munich back in September have been well documented. After the game Mancini accused Tevez of refusing to play — an accusation which the player says a subsequent inquiry found to be not true.
He said: "Manchester City investigated the incident. Me, the players, the staff and even Mancini were talked to, and no one said I didn't want to go on the pitch.
"OK, I didn't want to warm-up again, I had done it twice already. Mancini said immediately that I was out of the team. I told Mancini I had been ready to go on against Bayern. He treated me so badly, as he was angry with Dzeko. He insulted me."
Afterwards Tevez was left isolated at City as he was made to train with the reserve and youth team players.
He said: "Mancini didn't want to see me at all. It was not a normal life. I was training with 15-year-old kids, they couldn't believe it."
Tevez's agent Kia Joorabchian last night tried to defuse the situation by insisting: "What Carlos is explaining in his interview is how he felt back then. The club and Carlos have been talking about things in a positive way and he has said he is ready to apologise if he has done something wrong."
But there are a lot of bridges still left to be built.
Tevez has had to return to Manchester after leaving back on November 7 because he has not been sold and is not being paid. His total in fines and withdrawal of a loyalty bonus through the whole affair has cost him around £9.7million.
Tevez said: "I received many offers from Milan, Inter and PSG but City didn't want to lose money on me. I trained by myself in Buenos Aires."
Tevez is optimistic he will be fit and ready to play in a fortnight.
He added: "It's a great challenge, I'm coming back to Manchester with all my energies. Four months ago, I didn't want to play any more and I thought about quitting. But now I have never wanted to play football as much as I do today.
"I would like to help City win the title against United, that's my wish."
Yet in another dig at Mancini, he hailed his former boss Alex Ferguson at Manchester United as the greatest manager — along with former Argentine coach and current Athletic Bilbao chief Marcelo Bielsa.
Tevez said: "Ferguson is the best, he and Bielsa are the best. OK, Ferguson treated me badly at the end but he is still the best."
As an act of peace-making goes this was about as subtle as a Suarez handshake.
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Tevez given police escort after touching down in Manchester to repair rift with Mancini
Carlos Tevez is back in England for showdown talks over his Manchester City future.
The rebel striker was given a police escort when he emerged through arrivals at Manchester airport.
He is due to meet Mancini and City officials at their Carrington training base around 5pm.
Tevez faces a fresh storm after he accused manager Mancini of treating him ‘like a dog’.
Mancini was at Carrington on Tuesday morning as he prepares to introduce Tevez back into his squad.
In an astonishing outburst on the eve of his return from three months in self-imposed exile, Tevez reignited his row with Mancini over the infamous fall-out in Munich and blamed City for forcing him to seek refuge with his family back home in Argentina.
He also admitted that the two men almost came to blows last season.
Reflecting on his spat with Mancini when he refused to warm up during the Champions League defeat by Bayern Munich in September, Tevez said: ‘I couldn’t understand why I wasn’t playing.‘Mancini had taken the captain’s armband away from me without telling me why or even speaking to me about it, so a lot of things had happened and I was in a bad mood.
‘I had already warmed up in the first half but he told me to keep on warming up. He treated me like a dog. When he spoke to me in that tone of voice, I said, “No I’m not going out”. I was willing to play but the coach was in such a foul mood because he’s had an argument with Dzeko that he started on me as well, and began swearing. He said some horrible things to me.’
Tevez was fined four weeks’ wages - later reduced to two - following a club investigation into the incident, but he blames City’s support of Mancini and the reaction of fans for his decision to flee to Argentina.
He added: ‘The club statement protected the manager. That’s why I was angry and didn’t want to return. I was affected because of this situation and I wanted to find shelter with my family.
‘To be insulted by fans after what happened in Munich was something I didn’t deserve. They were misinformed, so when they were told that I didn’t want to play they naturally turned against me.
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Welcome back to Manchester .
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if i was the coach, i told my player to get ready to go in and he refuses, i'd be swearing at him too..
hell! the player would be sold immediately.. which is what Mancini tried to do.. but seems like people won't touch Tevez with a 10ft barge pole... because he is bad news...
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lets hope he is still as good as he used to before the bayern game.
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This guy won't stay very long cos he has all along said he want to leave England, want to leave Manchester...
The only reason he is back i guess is because he had enough time in the sun and got bore with that as well, now just come back and see what happen. Cos even if he doesn't play, as long as he is in Manchester, City have no reason not to pay his $200k a week salary... As it is, he has already lost an estimated $10m while he was away playing golf... lol.
But don't hold your hopes, cos 3, 4 months down the road he may get bore again.
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city probably feel the same way about him. they need him only until the end of the season.
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i dun understand city thinking. they should rid of him during the january transfer than having disrupt squad harmony isnt it. even for 10m, they should sell him off. now he will have to stay at city till august at least. is this good for squad harmony u tell me?
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didnt want to warm up despite being told by the manager is also tantamount to refuses to play isnt it. basically refusing to follow the manager's instructions when told to, whether refusing to warm up or play, still the same.
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If he show this kind of attitude to Fergie last time,who do you think will win?Remember Fergie said that no one is bigger than Manchester United.He proved it by selling Stam,Becks and Van Nistelrooy when they pissed him off.