Tevez returns, wants to play again

MANCHESTER, England - Carlos Tevez returned to Manchester on Tuesday insisting he wanted to end his long-running feud with Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini and play again for the Premier League leader.

The Argentina striker, returning from his homeland, has not played for City since incensing Italian manager Mancini by refusing to warm-up while on the bench during a Champions League tie away to Bayern Munich on Sept 27.

Mancini has indicated his willingness to make peace with Tevez if the player apologizes to him.

Tevez's return, which saw him undergo a medical after spending an hour at the team's training complex, appeared to receive the thumbs up from his fellow players.

"All I can say ... is that all the players are excited to have Carlos, Kolo and Yaya (Toure, returned from the African Nations Cup) back to help achieve our goal," tweeted centerback Joleon Lescott.

Tevez, during a Fox Sports interview broadcast in translation on Britain's Sky Sports News on Monday, said: "I do not think I was wrong, but if they (the club) think so, I apologize.

"I am ready to return, to win and do the best for the club's shirt. Hopefully I can help City to be champions again."

However, in the same interview, Tevez said Mancini had treated him "like a dog" during the controversial incident in September that led to more than three months of Eastlands' exile.

"I had already warmed up for 10 minutes and he has this attitude that he wants to lose 2-0 instead of 4-0," Tevez said.

"So I sat down and at the same time (Edin) 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.

"So when he spoke to me in that tone of voice, and I said 'No, I'm not going out'. So I was willing to play, but the coach was in such a foul mood because he had that argument with Dzeko."

Before last month's transfer window there was speculation Tevez, who returned to Argentina after his bust-up with Mancini, would be sold by City.

However, despite interest from Inter Milan, AC Milan and Paris St. Germain, no deal was done.

Agence France-Presse

(China Daily 02/16/2012 page22)