City climbdown in Tev strike row

Posted Friday, October 21, 2011 by The Sun

MANCHESTER CITY have sensationally backed down over manager Roberto Mancini's claim that Carlos Tevez refused to play in Munich.

Tevez will attend a club disciplinary hearing today to deal with his behaviour during the Champions League clash against Bayern last month.

But SunSport has learned from City sources that the club do NOT intend to charge him with the outright accusation he refused to take the field.

And none of the players on the bench or Mancini's coaching staff can confirm that substitute Tevez refused to play.

The charge against Tevez will now read that the Argentinian striker "refused to carry out the instructions of Roberto Mancini and Ivan Carminati (the fitness coach) to resume warming up with a view to playing in the match".

We understand Carminati even admits he thought that when Tevez stood up, he was going to return to his warm-up — before Mancini told the player he was not going to play him.

Mancini told the media immediately after the 2-0 defeat on September 27 that Tevez had refused to play and that he was "finished" at City.

But without support from those on the bench, he has been left out on a limb.

Tevez was suspended by City for a fortnight and could be fined.