The Province from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada • 31

IT! Ok 7a 1 SPORTS I A31 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2012 THEPR0VINCE.COM It Lln damns Tnresasesfl lULmv soccer notebook: Upset at Man City's manager's tone of voice, his refusal to play has cost him almost $16m 1 i i VX '-V c.iiti Carlos Tevez, his wife Vanesa Mansillo, and daughters Katie and Florencia leave Buenos Aires for England on Monday. reuters Carlos Tevez says he was ordered around "like a dog" by Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini, but he is ready to return and play. "I hope I can help City be champions," Tevez said in Argentina Monday. Tevez has spent nearly three months on unauthorized leave in his native Argentina, continuing a long-running feud with the Premier League leaders that intensified in September when he refused to warm up in a Champions League match at Bayern Munich. Tevez said Mancini and the club failed to tell the truth about what happened.

He said he was willing to play but was upset at Mancini's tone of voice when he asked him to warm up in the second half. According to Tevez, Mancini was at the time embroiled in an argument with Bosnian forward Edin Dzeko. "He ordered me like a dog to warm up," Tevez said. "The club never told the truth publicly about what really happened and that's why I was angry." His anger prompted him "to grab my things and come to Argentina without telling the club. I was upset by the situation and needed to be with my family." Having initially said it would be "impossible" to welcome Tevez back, Mancini's stance has since relaxed, saying Tevez can play provided he apologizes for his insubordination, which is believed to have cost him around $15.8 million in fines and lost earnings.

Tevez tied Manchester United's Dimitar Berbatov for the Premier League lead with 20 goals last season. City has coped with his absence, scoring a league-high 64 goals in 25 games this season. Tevez has appeared in three Premier League games this season and last appeared for the club in a League Cup win over Birmingham Napoli wins 2-0 Napoli got back to winning ways in the Italian Serie A with a comfortable 2-0 win against Chievo Verona while struggling Siena stunned Roma with a 1-0 victory. Miguel Britos headed Napoli in front in the 15th minute and top scorer Edinson Cavani doubled its lead with a penalty eight minutes from halftime to give the team only its second league win in 2012. With the first leg of a Champions League knockout tie against Chelsea coming up next Tuesday, it was a timely boost for Napoli after only one victory in all competitions in its past seven matches.

Siena moved away from the relegation zone after Emanuele Calaio's second-half penalty against Roma. It is now five points clear of 18th-placed Lecce, with a game in hand. News Services even on points with Blackburn and Queens Park Rangers. "I would think it was one of the most disappointing afternoons of my career," McCarthy said after the West Brom defeat. "I apologize for the performance and I've never done that before." Is Chelsea shopping? Andre Villas-Boas is in danger of losing his job as Chelsea manager after meetings with the club's owner Roman Abramovich.

Sources close to the Russian billionaire have suggested he may have lost patience with Villas-Boas and is considering making a change less than seven months after appointing the 34-year-old. Guus Hiddink's continuing availability and Fabio Capello's sudden availability have not gone unnoticed in some quarters. Napoli's Uruguayan forward Edinson Cavani celebrates after scoring a penalty against Chievo Verona on Monday. getty images on Sept. 21.

He captained City last season. Wolves fire coach Wolverhampton Wanderers fired coach Mick McCarthy a day after the English Premier League club slipped into the relegation zone following a 5-1 home defeat to West Brom. McCarthy has been subjected to criticism from Wolves supporters this season, including hundreds who protested following Sunday's collapse against West Brom, which scored four unanswered goals in the last 30 minutes. McCarthy's assistant Terry Connor will be interim manager, the club said. Wolves are in 18th place, THREE TO SEE: We're not pumped to see the Raptors.

We want to see the Knicks' Jeremy Lin! CS. ii fruit L.ii' fe'-j rtTiii'iT i miw ii ii ii i ii nitui Chicago Bulls, 5 p.m., TSN2; Arizona at Washington State, 6 p.m., SCORE; Boston College at Maryland, 6 p.m., WSBK; Los Angeles Clippers at Portland Trail Blazers, 7:30 p.m., TSN2; Gonzaga at Santa Clara, 8 p.m., SCORE. GOLF: Avantha Masters, 1st rd, 6 a.m., GOLF; Honda LPGA Thailand, 1st rd, 9:30 a.m., GOLF; PGA, Northern Trust Open, 1st rd, noon, GOLF. HOCKEY: Calgary Flames at Dallas Stars, 5:30 p.m., TSN; BCHL, Nanaimo at Vernon, 7 p.m.; Westside at Trail, 7:30 p.m. SOCCER: UEFA Europa League, round of 32, 1st leg, Ajax vs.

Manchester United, 10 a.m., TLN Suns, 6 p.m., SNOne. HOCKEY: Boston Bruins at Montreal Canadiens, 4:30 p.m., TSN; Colorado Avalanche at Vancouver Canucks, 7 p.m., Rogers Arena, SNP, TEAM 1040; WHL, Red Deer at Prince George, 7 p.m.; Edmonton at Kelowna, 7 p.m.; Vancouver at Spokane, 7 p.m., 650 AM; Calgary at Victoria, 7 p.m.; BCHL, Cowichan Valley at Alberni Valley, 7 p.m.; Nanaimo at Coquitlam, 7 p.m. SOCCER: UEFA Champions League, Zenit vs. a.m., SNW0RLD; AC Milan vs. Arsenal, 11:45 a.m., SNP.

THURSDAY, FES. 16" BASKETBALL: Boston Celtics at What else is on: TODAY, FEB. 14 BASKETBALL: Florida at Alabama, 4 p.m., SCORE. HOCKEY: WHL, Edmonton at Kamloops, 7 p.m.; Kelowna at Seattle, 7 p.m.; Vancouver at Tri-City, 7 p.m.; BCHL, Vernon at Merritt, 7 p.m. SOCCER: UEFA Champions League, Lyon vs.

Apoel Nicosia, 11:45 a.m., SNW0RLD WEDNESDAY, FEB. 15 BASKETBALL: San Antonio Spurs at Toronto Raptors, 4 p.m., TSN2; Arkansas at Tennessee, 5 p.m., PCH; Atlanta Hawks at Phoenix COREY PERRY WILD-OOCiCS NHL IN ST. PAUL, MINN. Anaheim's playing well but will need lots of help to make the playoffs. They're doing their part, though: Corey Perry, with a hat trick last game, now has 26 goals on the season.

And Teemu Selanne truly is an ageless wonder at 41. TV: TSN2, 4:30 p.m. LIONEL MESSI BAYER-BARCELONA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SOCCER The round of 16 is under way today, with struggling German side Bayer Leverkusen hosting the defending tourney champs. Bayer defender Michal Kadlec hopes for a "miracle" today; it will take that to beat Lionel Messi's crew. PACIFIC, 11:45 a.m.

JEREMY LIN RAPT0RS-KMCKS NBA IN TORONTO No doubt TSN will suggest this is a huge matchup between New York sensation Jeremy Lin and Toronto's Jose Calderon. The truth: People are tuning in only to see Lin, who came off the bench five games ago and is the NBA's current big hit. TV: TSN, 4 p.m..