Gary Neville: Carlos Tevez agent hits back at Sky Sports pundit for claiming he downed tools at Old Trafford
Carlos Tevez's agent Kia Joorabchian has hit back at Gary Neville after the former Manchester United claimed the Argentinian striker "downed tools" as he engineered a move to rivals Manchester City.
Tevez formed a formidable attacking trio alongside Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo as they fired the Red Devils to back-to-back titles in his only two seasons at Old Trafford.
Referring to his controversial move to rivals City, Neville told Sky's Football Show that the former West Ham man had acted unprofessionally as he wound down to his move to the Etihad.
"What annoyed me about Tevez was that he downed tools in his second season," said Neville. "I felt disappointed that, as a professional, he didn't act the right way."
Those comments drew a response from Tevez's agent Joorabchian though, who phoned in to Sky Sports News to defend his player, saying he did not have a bad attitude towards the end of his spell with United.
"Absolutely not, he was desperate to play," Joorabchian told Sky Sports News. "He scored 15 goals with seven assists, his record was superb. Every time, he was available for every game bar the three he missed through injury.
"I think the person's professionalism to be questioned is Gary Neville because he didn't do his homework on Carlos' career or as a reporter to say why Tevez wasn't. He never made any phone calls, he never asked the question of me or anyone to know what has happened. He just makes comments time and time again.
🗣️ Gary Neville says Carlos Tevez "downed tools" in his final year @ManUtd
— Sporting Life Football (@SportingLifeFC) May 13, 2020
💥 Didn't go down well when he went on to join @ManCity #MCFC #MUFC #Tevez pic.twitter.com/NxxFdXl6uJ
"By saying things like that, he is putting a mark on the back of a player who has won double or triple the trophies he has ever won. Carlos has won trophies in every single league he has ever played in, he has been nominated as player of the year in South America more than any other player in history and now, at the age of 34, he's just won the league and scored the winning goal with Boca Juniors again."
Responding to Neville's comments further, Joorabchian claims that, in fact, Tevez wanted to stay with United, with who he'd also won the Champions League in 2008, but the club declined to take up an option in his contract to keep him.
Tevez was on a controversial two-year loan deal from West Ham at the time, and United could have kept him on a permanent deal if they'd wanted, and it was only when they declined that Tevez then sort out another option.
"Generally speaking, Gary Neville spoke about professionalism, the treatment table and he spoke about people being in his ear," Joorabchian added.
"What he doesn't understand is, and this is when a reporter should have the correct information, no matter who was in his ear, no matter who was speaking to him, if Man United had wanted to exercise an option, all they had to do was sign a paper and send it to the Premier League.
"He wanted to stay at Man United right after Moscow and winning the Champions League when he came on and he knew what he had to do. He had to get under Chelsea's skin, he got Drogba sent off and they ended up on penalties, which they won, and it was a great moment.
"They came back and him, Rooney and Ronaldo had a great combination going forward, they were very happy, but Man United didn't exercise the option. It was as simple as that.
"Gary Neville is speaking about people being in his ear as if Tevez decided at that point to leave during that year, but it was Man Utd who didn't exercise that option. Tevez only decided after the option had expired that he had been sitting there for nine months and no one has exercised the option."
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