Dzeko apologizes to City boss Mancini

Published Sep. 30, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko has apologized for the way he reacted to being substituted in the midweek 2-0 defeat to Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League.

Dzeko was far from happy when he was brought off the field in Germany, exchanging words with boss Roberto Mancini on the touchline.

The Italian manager was furious with the player's response, insisting he would not allow such a reaction again.

However, the controversy surrounding fellow striker Carlos Tevez's refusal to come on in Germany -- which led to his temporary suspension from the EPL club -- meant the Dzeko issue was barely reported.

Despite little being said, the Bosnian has said sorry for the way he reacted.

"I know my reaction [to being taken off] was bad," he said. "I have spoken to the guys and to the coach as well. I have apologized 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 explained that he had extra motivation to win the game because of the time he spent in Germany with Wolfsburg.

"I was unhappy because we were 2-0 down and I wanted to win the game," he said. "It was something special for me to go back to Germany where I played for a long time. 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 are still to decide what longterm course to take regarding the future of Argentine striker Tevez.