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20 April 2024

City boss Mancini receives apology from Dzeko

Manchester City's Edin Dzeko (right) reacts after his substitution whilst head coach Roberto Mancini looks on during the UEFA Champions League group A match against FC Bayern Munich at Allianz Arena. (GETTY)

Published
By AFP

Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko has apologised to manager Roberto Mancini for his petulant response to being substituted in Tuesday's Champions League defeat at Bayern Munich.

The Bosnian was furious when he was replaced by Nigel de Jong after 56 minutes, a decision which also sparked Carlos Tevez's later refusal to go onto the Allianz Arena pitch, the Argentine believing he should have replaced Dzeko.

"I know my reaction (to being taken off) was bad and I have spoken to the coach. I have apologised for the reaction and Roberto has accepted it and said that everything is ok and that we have to be positive for the next game," Dzeko told mcfc.co.uk.

"Everyone has had a sleep and a rest after the Bayern game and we know we could have done better but it is football and you cannot win every game.

"I was unhappy because we were 2-0 down and I wanted to win the game. It was something special for me to go back to Germany where I played for a long time and I wanted to do well and wanted the team to do well. Things didn?t go well for us. That is why I was extra frustrated."

City suspended Tevez on Wednesday as they began an investigation into whether he refused to come on as a substitute in the tie in Germany.

The Argentine denied that he had refused to come on when told to do so by Mancini, who had said after the match he was "finished" at the club.