ENGLAND - Manchester City have apologised to Alex Ferguson after Carlos Tevez held up a placard taunting the Manchester United manager during the club's Premier League trophy parade.

Tevez held a sign with the text "R.I.P. Fergie" high over his head while aboard City's open-top bus, which travelled past 100000 fans in Manchester on Monday.

Tevez left United to make the rare move across Manchester to City in 2009 after being unhappy at his lack of playing time under Ferguson.

City said in a statement that "the creation of the tasteless material is in itself reprehensible and in accepting and brandishing it, Carlos has made a significant error of judgment".

City added that it "wishes to express its sincerest apologies to Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United Football Club for any offence or distress caused".

"I got carried away in the excitement of the moment and I certainly didn't mean any disrespect to Sir Alex Ferguson, who I admire as a man and a manager," Tevez said.

The incident comes at the end of a season full of turmoil for Tevez, who spent several months in Argentina during a dispute with City which cost him more than $15million in fines and lost earnings.

City beat United to the title on goal difference on Sunday after scoring twice in stoppage time to beat Queens Park Rangers 3-2.