Roberto Mancini plays down row with Carlos Tevez
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has said that the significance of his reported bust-up with captain Carlos Tevez has been exaggerated in the press.
It was during the half-time break of City's game against Newcastle United on Sunday that Tevez and Mancini, frustrated with their team's first-half performance, got into an argument in the dressing room.
In the second half, Adam Johnson scored for City, earning his team a 2–1 victory.
After the game, rumours that the discussion would leave Mancini and Tevez's relationship beyond repair began to circulate, but the Italian was quick to dismiss the speculation.
"My encounter with Tevez? There has been a lot of nonsense written," the manager told
La Gazzetta dello Sport. "These things happen in our locker room as much as they do in any other. It is necessary and it is good when it happens. It was a heated confrontation but after that City won, so the wake-up call worked. Before returning to
the field we had cleared it all up."
The victory against Newcastle saw City overtake Arsenal and Manchester United in the league table with a total of 14 points. Mancini's team trail leaders Chelsea by four points.
Mancini defends de Jong
The performance of Nigel de Jong, City's holding midfielder, against Newcastle was surrounded by controversy, as the Dutchman broke the leg of Newcastle's Hatem Ben Arfa after landing a late challenge
on the striker.
After the incident, Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk decided to leave de Jong out of the Dutch squad that faces Moldova and Sweden over the international break.
"De Jong is forceful but also loyal," said Mancini. "He goes hard but not with the intention of hurting anyone. Sunday's episode was just an incident of the game. The referee saw it and he didn't even
call a foul. I don't wish to enter into the decision made by the Dutch coach. I hope the referees will continue to evaluate De Jong objectively."
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