I was ready to play for Manchester City - Carlos Tevez
- Published
Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez is unhappy with how the club and media have portrayed his failure to come on as a substitute against Bayern Munich.
BBC Sport has learned Tevez feels his row with boss Roberto Mancini was about warming up and not a refusal to play.
The 27-year-old felt he was ready to play when asked to prepare to come on in the second half of the 2-0 defeat., external
Tevez blamed "confusion on the bench" for the "misunderstanding" in a statement on Wednesday.
Mancini claimed after the match that Tevez would never play for him at City again.
But Tevez, who is unhappy with his lack of playing time in recent weeks, is understood to believe his boss should not have spoken publicly on the matter with emotions running high and the facts behind the dispute unclear.
The Argentine angered Mancini by seemingly not wanting to come on during the second half.
"If I have my way he will be out. He's finished with me," the Italian said after the match.
"If we want to improve as a team, Carlos can't play with us. With me, he is finished."
Tevez subsequently apologised to the club's fans for the incident.
"I would like to apologise to all Manchester City fans, with whom I have always had a strong relationship, for any misunderstanding that occurred in Munich," he said.
"They understand that when I am on the pitch I have always given my best for the club. In Munich on Tuesday I had warmed up and was ready to play.
"This is not the right time to get into specific details as to why this did not happen. But I wish to state that I never refused to play.
"Going forward I am ready to play when required and to fulfil my obligations."
BBC sports editor David Bond says it is unlikely any showdown talks between Mancini and Tevez will take place on Wednesday as the players are not due in for training. City are next in action on Saturday when they play at Blackburn in the Premier League.
Tevez has agitated for a move away from City twice in the past year, asking for a move in order to be closer to his two daughters in his Argentina.
A proposed £40m switch to Corinthians fell through in the summer as time ran out to complete the transfer before the Brazilian deadline.
In a statement explaining the deal's collapse, Sao Paulo club hinted that the deal could be revived, stating "we look forward to him being with us in the near future."
Tevez finished joint top-scorer in the Premier League last season with 20 goals, but was stripped of the City captaincy for the new campaign and appears to have slipped to fourth-choice striker at Etihad Stadium.
The former Manchester United and West Ham player was an unused substitute in Saturday's 2-0 win over Everton as Mancini opted to replace Dzeko with Mario Balotelli.
- Published28 September 2011