City take action against Tevez

Soccer:Carlos Tevez has been suspended for two weeks by Manchester City. The Blues confirmed the news this evening following Tevez's refusal to play against Bayern Munich last night and it seems certain to be the start of a drawn-out disciplinary process that will end a stormy two-year period with the club.

“Manchester City can confirm that striker Carlos Tevez has been suspended until further notice for a maximum period of two weeks,” said a short statement released by City this evening. “The player’s suspension is pending a full review into his alleged conduct during Tuesday evening’s 2-0 defeat to Bayern Munich.

“The player will not be considered for selection or take part in training whilst the review is under way.”

City can afford to throw money at their Tevez problem and rid themselves of a striker whose refusal to play against Bayern Munich has triggered outrage in the soccer world.

His manager Roberto Mancini has already vowed the player's career at City is "finished" after the Argentine defied orders to warm up and come on as a second-half substitute in the 2-0 Champions League defeat at the Allianz Arena.

While Tevez issued a statement on Wednesday denying he had refused to play, the apology to fans did not tally with comments he made straight after the game when he said: "I didn't feel I was right to play, so I didn't."

Tevez's team mates sat impassively on the substitutes' bench next to him while he appeared to rant and gesticulate during Tuesday's match and the club may feel they need to let him go for the sake of unity and before he bends too many ears.

Legally, if the club can prove Tevez refused to do his job, his contract can be terminated.

"If, hypothetically, a player did refuse to play or go to the game, then the employing club could allege that it was a sufficiently serious breach by the player to allow for a summary dismissal and termination of the player's employment contract," Graham Shear, a partner at law firm Berwin Leighton Paisner, explained.

While the fans who watch Tevez would expect to get fired for not doing their day jobs, such cases are rare in soccer.

"It has to be an extraordinarily serious breach by a player that would give rise to an immediate termination of the contract," added Shear. "Significant disputes between a club and the player are ordinarily dealt with by levying the standard punishment of a deduction of two weeks' wages."

Mancini was visibly shaken by the exchange with Tevez and fellow Premier League managers had plenty of sympathy over his difficulties with a talented player who is somewhat tainted after problems at West Ham United, Manchester United and City.

"It's unbelievable. For Roberto Mancini to be put in that situation wasn't fair, it wasn't right for Man City, it wasn't right for football," Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp said. "He's a great player but I can't condone what happened yesterday. What message does that send out to young players?"

If City decide to keep Tevez but Mancini goes through with his threat to never field the striker again, the player could have a case for saying he is entitled to be released from his contract for not being allowed to perform his duties.

"Fifa recognises within its rules that if a football club refuses to play a player for reasons other than appropriate sporting reasons then such an act could potentially be grounds for a player to seek to be released from his contract on the basis of what is called sporting just cause," Shear said.

"Such a release would normally result in the player being a free agent."

So, whether the club decide he should stay or go, Tevez could become a free agent which may well be a good result for a player who has made no secret of his desire to leave a city where he says the weather is bad and there is nothing to do.

Tevez's problem could be that his catalogue of run-ins at previous clubs may put off some potential suitors from paying a hefty fee in January or even acquiring him now for free.

Then again, a player on a free who can score for fun - he was joint top scorer in the Premier league last season -

and is willing to run his legs into the ground when he wants to could be worth the risk to many clubs.