Carlos Tevez's agent Kia Joorabchian believes the Manchester City striker's remarks about former team-mate Gary Neville have been taken out of context.Tevez's goals in the recent Manchester derby prompted an abusive gesture from United's Neville, who was branded a "moron" and a "boot-licker" by Tevez.
"Sometimes comments get a bit lost in translation," Joorabchian told the BBC.
"If you use slang terminology, that slang, interpreted word for word, may not sound as it would in context."
In the build-up to the Carling Cup semi-final first leg against United at Eastlands last Tuesday, defender Neville claimed that Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson had been right to let Tevez leave the club for City last summer.
I don't think Carlos came anywhere near hitting his peak at Man United
Kia Joorabchian
The Argentine, who scored a brace in City's 2-1 win, gestured and cupped his ears after scoring his second goal and later claimed that his celebrations had been aimed at Neville.
Subsequently, the Football Association warned both players over their future conduct and urged both clubs to show restraint ahead of the second leg on Wednesday.
"Gary Neville stepped into something that maybe he shouldn't have done," Joorabchian told BBC Radio 5 live's Sportsweek. "When you're a professional football player you have to have respect for your companions.
"If you don't have respect for your companions, and you don't have class, then you have to accept that they are entitled to say something back.
"Since Gary Neville didn't have that respect, I think Carlos felt that he had to give him an answer.
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"But if you translate a slang terminology into an actual word, it may turn out to look like a very bad word. In reality, it might not be such a bad word."
Joorabchian went on to suggest that Tevez, who has already over 50 caps for Argentina, has yet to reach the height of his powers as a player.
"I don't think Carlos came anywhere near hitting his peak at Man United," added Joorabchian.
"I think in the next three or four years he has got a lot more to offer, because he's a very young player still, he's only 25."
Source: BBC Sport
Source: BBC Sport