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."
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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.
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.
"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."