Tevez back to training as dispute rumbles on

Carlos Tevez will face manager Roberto Mancini on the Manchester City training ground this morning for the first time since their clash in Munich.

City said last night that in their view there is a case for Tevez to answer of alleged breach of contract in relation to his conduct during the 2-0 Champions League defeat to Bayern in the Allianz Arena last month, when Mancini claimed the striker refused to come on as a substitute.

Subsequently, Tevez’s trusted advisor Kia Joorabchian said the matter boiled down to a simple misunderstanding in the heat of the moment and claimed the Argentina forward had been mistranslated in an interview he gave immediately after the game when he is alleged to have declared that his “head wasn’t right to play”.

Tevez was suspended for a fortnight the day after the game, allowing City to launch an internal investigation, the findings of which led to a statement being released last night.

“The club has been conducting an investigation into the events of 27 September at the Allianz Arena,” read the statement.

“The club has now reached a stage in its investigation where it has concluded that there is a case for Carlos Tevez to answer of alleged breaches of contract.

“Accordingly, the club has informed him that he will face disciplinary proceedings and the hearing will be convened shortly.

“Carlos will be required to report to Roberto Mancini for training on Thursday.”

The prospect of Mancini and Tevez being present on the same training ground is an enticing one given the animosity that so obviously exists between the pair.

Mancini was furious in the immediate aftermath of the Bayern game, declaring that, as far as he was concerned, Tevez was “finished” at City.

That is still the Italian’s view, although the Munich incident alone is not thought to be severe enough to warrant Tevez simply being thrown out.

And, regulations regarding footballing disciplinary matters being what they are, the matter cannot be resolved speedily, with both sides privately preparing themselves for a very lengthy battle.

No matter what the outcome of the initial hearing, in front of a senior member of City’s “leadership team”, Tevez will still have recourse to two appeal procedures, first to the City board, and then the Premier League.

With all the paperwork that would have to be supplied by both parties, it means the whole saga may not be concluded until December.

In a sense, that would be an acceptable situation for both parties given the proximity to the January transfer window.