• Champions League

'Stupid' Tevez has himself to blame - Mancini

ESPN staff
December 6, 2011
Roberto Mancini has been angered by Carlos Tevez's actions © PA Photos
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Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has branded Carlos Tevez 'stupid' for the behaviour this season that has seen the striker move towards the exit door at the club.

Tevez looks set to leave the club in January, with AC Milan ready to open talks about an initial loan deal. The Argentine has been out of favour with the club ever since appearing to refuse to come on as a substitute in City's Champions League game against Bayern Munich earlier in the season, a decision Mancini admits he was both shocked and hurt by.

"Tevez behaved stupidly in the way a player shouldn't - especially a great player," Mancini said. "I was really angry because I was not expecting that from him. I always had excellent relations with him.

"That's the first time I've seen that in such an important match when there was 40 minutes still left to play."

Mancini was further angered by Tevez's subsequent refusal to apologise for his behaviour, after being given the opportunity to return to the first-team fold even as the tide of public opinion was so heavily against him.

"Ten days after what happened in Munich, I invited him to come to my place to talk," the Italian said. "I told him if he apologised to me, to the club, to the team, he could come back into the squad. I would have forgiven him but he replied that he didn't have to apologise to anyone."

City face Bayern Munich again on Wednesday night in the final game of the group stage, with the club knowing they must beat the German side and hope Villarreal do them a favour against Napoli if they are to progress to the last 16 of the competition.

Captain Vincent Kompany believes the club can emerge victorious, and should enjoy what could prove a dramatic evening at the Etihad Stadium.

"It will be a special night and with the players we have, we are capable of anything," Kompany said. "It will be one of those nights when people will have their eye on two different games.

"I have learned that these can be the most horrible nights, but also the best nights. Why not?

"Having Bayern Munich at the Etihad is something that hasn't happened for a long time so we should respect the moment.

"We must make a special night of it and believe 100 per cent we can do it."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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