Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp thinks Carlos Tevez’s public spat with Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini could severely undermine the club’s Premier League title hopes.
A furious Mancini said Tevez had no future at Manchester City on Wednesday after claiming the striker refused to come off the bench during the club’s 2-0 Champions League defeat at Bayern Munich.
The striker denied Mancini’s claims, but the former West Ham man has come in for strong criticism from leading figures in the game for his apparent lack of respect to his club and manager.
City have made a flying start to their campaign, winning five of their six matches to trail league leaders Manchester United only on goal difference, but Redknapp thinks the Tevez saga could knock them off course.
“If you’re Manchester United or Chelsea and you’re thinking about winning the league, you feel more confident today because you look at that and it’s damaged Manchester City. And the manager doesn’t deserve that,” the 64-year-old said.
“It was unbelievable. I felt sorry for Roberto Mancini to be put in that situation. It’s not fair. It wasn’t right for Man City, wasn’t right for football. I can’t believe it. It shouldn’t happen. It can’t happen.
“I just wonder what City legends like Malcom Allison and Mike Summerbee would have thought of seeing a player refuse to play in a Champions League game. It is beyond belief.”
Tevez said he did not refuse to take to the field in the Allianz Arena, and there was a “misunderstanding” between himself and Mancini on the touchline.
Redknapp does not buy the 27-year-old’s version of events, however.
“Impossible. If someone says warm up, you warm up. You don’t even have to say anything, you can point and you get up and go warm up,” Redknapp said.
“He’s obviously sick he wasn’t put on earlier but that’s not his decision. That’s the manager’s decision.
“He gets paid £200,000-odd a week to either start, come on as sub or do what he has to do. It’s no hardship. People complain and it’s always someone else’s fault.”