City ban Tevez talk

Manchester - Manchester City issued a blanket ban on questions about the Carlos Tevez saga on Friday at manager Roberto Mancini's weekly press conference.

Reporters were ordered not to attempt to question Mancini about Tevez, who was suspended on Wednesday after allegedly refusing to come off the substitutes bench in the Champions League defeat at Bayern Munich.

"Questions in relation to Carlos Tevez in general, in relation to his alleged conduct on Tuesday evening and the potential ramifications of that conduct and in relation to his future at the football club is strictly off limits and will not be answered," City spokeswoman Victoria Kloss said.

"Breaches of this will result in the press conference being suspended. This decision has been made to protect the interests of all parties and safeguard the integrity of the investigation that is currently taking place."

Mancini meanwhile played down the ramifications of events in Munich, where striker Edin Dzeko also appeared to challenge the manager's authority with a petulant reaction to his substitution in the second half.

Mancini brushed off suggestions he had endured the toughest week of his career.

"No, no, absolutely no. Why is it difficult? Some situations can happen in football, in your job. It's important that the past is finished," he said.

"I don't have any complications. Only one complication that we had two days ago is that we lost against Bayern Munich, only this. We started very well we can do a fantastic season, I don't have this problem.

"It is normal that one player is not happy to leave the pitch in an important game or to stay on the bench, it's a normal situation for every manager."