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The Curious Case of Carlos Tevez’s Refusal to Play for Manchester City Against Bayern Munich (Video)

Manchester City's Carlos Tevez made headlines after allegedly refusing to enter Tuesday's UEFA Champions League game when his Manchester City team was trailing Bayern Munich 2-0. Manager Roberto Mancini entered into a furious war of words with the striker and has vowed that the Argentine will never again play for the club while he is in charge.

FIFA.com reports that Tevez denies refusing his manager’s orders in a statement issued to Press Association sport. 

He said, "In Munich on Tuesday I had warmed up and was ready to play. This is not the right time to get into specific details as to why this did not happen. But I wish to state that I never refused to play. There was some confusion on the bench and I believe my position may have been misunderstood. Going forward I am ready to play when required and to fulfil my obligations."

The incident in question appears in the video below.  

In a postgame news conference, a furious Mancini said Tevez was "finished" with him. To what extent this was a "heat-of-the-moment" reaction is unclear. Mancini will meet with club bosses in the next day or two to discuss the matter. 

Tevez did not specifically address the incident in a postgame interview, but talked about wanting to leave the club for the last year. 

Liverpool legend Graeme Souness laid into the player in his post-game analysis, saying "he is one bad apple."