Carlos Tevez was been dropped from Argentina team to play against Portugal in Geneva tonight over a question of attitude, according to Argentine Football Association president Julio Grondona.
“I think Tevez’s absence is because of an attitude he had when he didn’t come to play (against Brazil in November) and then did so for his club. The coaching staff didn’t like that attitude,” Grondona said of the Manchester City striker.
Tevez missed Argentina’s last game against Brazil in Qatar on November 17 after Manchester City claimed he was nursing a muscle problem. The following weekend Tevez played for City against Fulham in the Premier League.
This is not the first time that City have been involved in a club-v-country row with the Argentine Football Association.
“The tiredness is a problem for Carlos. Argentina do not just play in Europe, so it is very difficult, ” City boss Roberto Mancini said before the Brazil game. “Carlos didn’t work from the start of the season. He arrived here in August. After three days he went away with the national team. But he still needed to recover after the World Cup.”
With a huge Manchester derby this week against Man United, City are probably happy that Tevez is locked away at Eastlands resting instead of playing in a meaningless friendly in Switzerland.
For Argentina, they are forced to go into the Portugal game with Lionel Messi playing center-forward, not is best position.
