It's fair to say that Carlos Tevez does not have many friends left in the Manchester region. Having burnt his bridges at both Manchester clubs during a six year stay in England, the Argentine striker is currently at Juventus, away from the intrusive media and goldfish bowl of the Premier League. Tevez' transfer to the Red Devils in the summer of 2007 was one of the most complicated deals of the 21st century. With West Ham having been fined for acquiring Tevez and his Argentine compatriot Javier Mascherano 'illegally', Man United chiefs were keen to avoid any wrong-doing. As a result, they had to deal with his notorious representative, Kia Joorachbian, and a West Ham board who were unsure how much of the Argentine superstar they actually owned. The case was referred to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, before MSI - the third-party company who owned Tevez - agreed to pay the Hammers £2 million to release him from his contract. During the South American's complicated two year loan, he became a firm fan favourite at the Stretford End, lauded for his commitment and desire. However, despite a fruitful 14 league goal-laden debut season, the arrival of Dimitar Berbatov in the summer of 2008 restricted his playing time, which in turn yielded a paltry five league goals. Unamused by Ferguson's perceived preference for the new golden boy, Tevez took to the media to express his disappointment at his lack of game-time.
''I know that I am not going to continue at Manchester United. I feel that they have lacked respect towards me. Therefore it's best that I leave the club so as not to clash with Alex Ferguson and the directors. I don't understand why I don't play in the team.'' - Carlos Tevez, May 2009.
Recent Journalism & New Media graduate. Insatiable thirst for all things football, and hopes to break into the field of sports journalism in the near future.
Have made a significantly insignificant playing career out of receiving several slaps around the head for not passing the ball.
