While Alex Ferguson praised his rival for his "strength
of character" in dealing with Tevez, who Mancini has said refused to come
on in Tuesday's 2-0 Champions League defeat at Bayern Munich, the subject was
off limits at a City news conference.
The club took the unusual step of reading out a statement
beforehand to say that any questions relating directly or indirectly to Tevez
would spell the end of proceedings.
"This decision has been made to protect the interests
of all parties and safeguard the integrity of the investigation that is currently
taking place," the statement read by chief communications officer Vicky
Kloss said.
Mancini, who entered the room joking "Champions League
final?" as he clocked the larger than usual press contingent, was happy to
discuss the wonderful weather, his bike ride to work and Saturday's Premier
League trip to Blackburn Rovers.
The Italian's only real reference to a week where he has
vowed that Tevez is "finished" at the club while he is in charge, was
to deny that this had been the hardest week of his managerial career.
"No, no, absolutely no. Why is it difficult? Some
situations can happen in football, in your job," he said. "It's
important that the past is finished.
"I don't have any complications. The only complication
that we had two days ago is that we lost against Bayern Munich, only this. We
started very well, we can do a fantastic season, I don't have this problem.
"It is normal that one player is not happy to leave the
pitch in an important game or to stay on the bench, it's a normal situation for
every manager." Striker Edin Dzeko's behavior in the midweek game also
angered Mancini as the Bosnian threw off his shirt after being taken off. He
has apologized for his actions and Mancini sought to draw a line under that and
the rest of the week's events.
"It is finished," the Italian said. "I am the
manager, our focus is regarding the Premier League, the Champions League and
the FA Cup. Other things — it is not my problem." City have banned Tevez,
who has denied refusing to play, for up to two weeks pending an investigation
into his conduct which has triggered widespread condemnation.
While there was silence at City, there were plenty of
Premier League managers making their views on Tevez known.
"The sooner he leaves the country the better,"
said Queens Park Rangers boss Neil Warnock, who was manager of Sheffield United
when they sued Tevez's ex-club West Ham United for the cost of relegation as
the London side had broken rules on third-party agreements when signing the
Argentine.
Manchester United boss Ferguson complimented Mancini on his
handling of the matter.
"I think that Roberto Mancini has come out and shown
his strength of character, his strength of management and I think that is
important," Tevez's ex-manager told a news conference.
"Strong management is important and there is nobody
more important than the manager at a football club." Not everyone has criticized
Tevez with former United teammate Paul Scholes pointing out that he too had
once refused to play in a League Cup tie in 2001.
"You think you should be playing and my head was all
over the place," he told BBC Radio 5 Live. "I realize it was stupid.
I let the manager down and it was something I regretted. It's probably similar
to Carlos Tevez's state of mind if it is true he refused to come on." Ferguson
said Scholes was remembering the incident differently and that his "wasn't
exactly a refusal to play.”
City
are unbeaten in the Premier League this season, having dropped just two points
in six games, and are behind neighbors United on goal difference.
