Sorry seemed the hardest word for the striker but, now he has said it, the next instalment of his turbulent career begins
The curious incident of Carlos Tevez in the night-time at Bayern Munich has been a saga to rival the tediousness of Bleak House. With the 28-year-old finally apologising unreservedly to "everybody I have let down and to whom my actions over the last few months have caused offence" the prospect is raised that at last what happened on 27 September at the Allianz Arena can be forgotten.
But this is the Premier League's parallel universe and involves a player who has shown himself a true individual since arriving at West Ham United from Corinthians in Brazil in 2006.
To rewind back to that evening at Bayern: 10 minutes into the second half of a Champions League group game that City were losing 2-0 Roberto Mancini decided to replace Edin Dzeko with Nigel de Jong. This infuriated Tevez who, when called upon by the manager minutes later, refused to warm up, and a story with the staying power of The Mousetrap (24,500 performances and counting) was born.
The episode led to what seemed a seismic split between Tevez and Mancini, with the seething City manager saying in his post-match interview: "If a player plays for Manchester City in the Champions League and earns a lot of money and does this, then he can never play for me again. I have helped him. for the last two years and I can't accept this. For me he's finished."
The accommodations Mancini touched upon include the compassionate leave granted to Tevez to be with his prematurely born daughter in Buenos Aires in February 2010 and welcoming him back to the fold after two transfer requests. In December 2010 Tevez put in writing a wish to depart due to a breakdown in his relationship with Garry Cook, then chief executive. The second was last July, when the motivation was to be nearer his family in Argentina. But after a move back to Corinthians fell through later in the summer, he was again restored to the squad by Mancini.
Post-Munich, though, Tevez's allies in the game dwindled to only his closest advisers. The Professional Footballers' Association, which had backed him over the initial incident, could do no more when he decided to fly to Argentina against City's wishes in November and take a three-month absence until returning last week.
Even then Tevez could not resist poking Mancini, carrying on a dispute that had long since descended into turgid farce. The day before he flew back the striker claimed that he had been treated "like a dog", causing Mancini to retort in true playground fashion that maybe Tevez had been "treated too well" by him.
How the Italian reacts to the unconditional apology will answer the question that becomes the next instalment of the tale: whether Tevez will play again in a meaningful match for City. Pragmatism could reign. On one side is a world-class performer who has lost around £9m in lost wages and fines and the best part of a whole season in his prime. On the other is a manager who hopes to lead City to their first league title since 1968.
The club has been knocked out of three cup competitions – including the Champions League – since that night in Munich and a once commanding lead in the championship has dwindled to two points. In attack Sergio Agüero has only two goals in his past eight appearances, Dzeko is not completely trusted for the big occasion and Mario Balotelli has his own maverick tendencies.
Mancini, recognising this, has softened. Less than two weeks ago he said: "It probably would have been better for us if [Tevez] had been here … maybe he can help us in the last three months."
Whatever happens, instinct says there may be more unpalatable stuff to come. And how the fans will receive El Apache is another question altogether.