Buenos Aires: Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez has branded former United team mate Gary Neville a "moron" and accused him of sucking up to his manager Alex Ferguson.
The Argentine was responding to questions about a gesture he made to Neville -- indicating that the United player talked too much -- after scoring the first of two goals in City's 2-1 first leg win in the all-Manchester League Cup semi-final on Tuesday.
Former England defender Neville had angered Tevez by repeating comments made previously by Ferguson that the Argentine was not worth the fee United would have been forced to pay to keep him last year.
"It was bad of him to say Ferguson was right," Tevez, who cost City around 25 million pounds (USD 40.45 million), told reporters.
"It seems to me very much (as) sucking his socks to go and talk (to media) about the personal problems I had with Ferguson," he added, using a common Argentine expression for a sycophant.
"This moron, what's he doing talking about me, an ex-team mate ... That was a lack of respect. I've never said anything about him."
Tevez said he passed right by Neville as he celebrated his first goal, a penalty equaliser, so he turned towards him and made a hand gesture.
It was not clear at the time who Tevez meant the gesture for, but he clarified.
"I would never do that to the fans, that would be showing disrespect."
Bureau Report
First Published: Friday, January 22, 2010, 10:00