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.
"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.
