SOCCER:ROBERTO MANCINI has confirmed he had an angry exchange with Carlos Tevez over tactics at half-time during Manchester City's game against Newcastle United but insisted there was no lingering bad feeling between himself and the Argentinian.
Mancini had reacted aggressively when he heard Tevez making a derogatory comment in Spanish as he came into the dressingroom. The subsequent row became so heated, at one point, Tevez was told he was being substituted and started removing his kit. Team-mates and coaching staff intervened but Mancini made it clear he would not hold any grudges when Tevez returns from the international break.
“What happened in our dressingroom happens in others as well,” the City manager said.
“And when it matters it is good it happens. Against Newcastle we had gone to sleep in the first half, so the confrontation with Tevez was exactly the alarm call everybody needed.
“The confrontation was really ballsy. And in the second half City deservedly won. The alarm call worked well. We [Mancini and Tevez] sorted everything between us before the restart. And when I took him off at the end we shook hands.”
Mancini described as “bollocks” one report that he had insulted Tevez’s mother and confirmed, as revealed in the Guardian, it was about the tactical formation, with his leading scorer frustrated about playing as a lone striker.
This system, he said, would change shortly. “It’s out of necessity. [Emmanual] Adebayor has just recovered from injury, [Mario] Balotelli not so.
“Without flying full-backs like [Jerome] Boateng and [Aleksandar] Kolarov, who can push forward, I’ve had to adjust.”
Mancini was also asked about Nigel de Jong’s leg-breaking tackle on Newcastle’s Hatem Ben Arfa and the midfielder’s reputation now he has been dropped from the Dutch squad.
“I am extremely sorry for Ben Arfa and I sincerely hope he recovers speedily,” Mancini said. “De Jong plays with grit, but he’s not dirty. He tackles hard, but never intending to hurt.
“Last Sunday was an accident. The referee saw it all, and did not even award a free-kick. As for the Dutch coach, I’m not going to interfere with his decisions.”
The City manager was reminded of De Jong’s kick into the ribs of Spain’s Xabi Alonso during the World Cup final.
“That tackle was out of order, uncoordinated in the extreme. But I hope that referees continue to evaluate De Jong with fairness.”
Ben Arfa is to leave hospital today as he begins the process of recovering from his double leg fracture.
The 23-year-old France international underwent surgery at the Manchester Royal Infirmary on Monday on both the tibia and fibula of his left leg.
He faces months on the sidelines but has been cheered by hundreds of messages of support from Magpies fans.
Ben Arfa told the club’s official website, www.nufc.co.uk: “I would like to thank all the Newcastle fans from the bottom of my heart for their fantastic messages of support and encouragement.”
Newcastle last night called upon the English FA to take action against De Jong.
Fifa rules mean the FA are unlikely to be able to punish the Dutchman over the incident.
GuardianService
