Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez has apologised for his recent conduct following his touchline row with manager Roberto Mancini in September.
The 28-year-old returned to the club last week , following a self-imposed, three-month exile in Argentina.
“I wish to apologise sincerely and unreservedly to everybody I have let down and to whom my actions have caused offence,” Tevez said in a statement.
He has also withdrawn his appeal against the club’s misconduct charge.
“My wish is to concentrate on playing football for Manchester City Football Club,” he added.
The Argentina international has been missing from the City squad since November and has not featured for the club after boss Roberto Mancini alleged the striker refused to come on as a substitute during City’s 2-0 defeat by Bayern Munich in a Champions League tie in September, although Tevez claimed there had been a misunderstanding.
Carlos Tevez’s apology marks a significant rapprochement in this often bitter dispute.
It should be viewed as a pragmatic measure by both club and player, following lengthy negotiations this month between Kia Joorabchian, Tevez’s representative, and John McBeath, Manchester City’s acting chief executive.
Having failed to secure a move to, notably, AC Milan in the January transfer window, Tevez faced a choice of continuing to play golf in Argentina or returning to Manchester to fight for his place in the team.
It may still be the case that Tevez moves on in the summer, but for now peace appears to have broken out at the Etihad Stadium.
Straight after the incident, Mancini claimed the Argentine was “finished” at City, though he later suggested an apology would put an end to the matter.
Tevez was suspended and later fined for misconduct before he flew back to South America to begin his unauthorised leave on 7 November, for which he has lost nearly £10m in salary, fines and bonuses payments.
During his three-month absence, the former Manchester United and West Ham striker was linked with transfer window moves to AC Milan, Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain but failed to secure a switch away from Manchester.
West Ham chairman David Gold has also revealed his club made a number of attempts to bring Tevez back to Upton Park on loan.
Earlier this month relations seemed to have thawed and Mancini named the Argentine in his 25-man squad for the rest of the season.
BBC Sport understands that neither Tevez nor Mancini have spoken to each other since the striker arrived back at Manchester City last Tuesday.
Tevez has since begun a two to three week training program designed to return him to fitness. He is not in the club’s European squad ahead of their Europa League clash against Porto as he is not registered for the competition.
Former Manchester City star Dennis Tueart told BBC Radio 5 live that the Argentine’s return had not surprised him, and insists the club’s handling of the affair was “a message going out to the world of football that we are not a soft touch”.
“Once the transfer window closed and he realised that the grass wasn’t greener elsewhere and no-one else was prepared to pay the money, where else could he go?” said Tueart.
The former winger added that the fine form of City’s strikeforce makes Tevez “fourth choice” and said “if Sergio Aguero keeps producing the goods he has all season, Tevez won’t get a game”.
“If he’s introduced, he will be introduced off the bench and it will be interesting to see what his attitude will be if he’s asked to resume warming up,” said Tueart.
Source: bbc.co.uk