Carlos Tevez
Carlos Alberto Tevez is an Argentine professional football manager and former player. A dynamic forward in his prime, Tevez was capable of playing as a striker, as a winger, as a supporting forward, or as an attacking midfielder. He is the head coach of Primera División club Talleres.
Tevez began his career with Boca Juniors, winning the Copa Libertadores and Intercontinental Cup in 2003 before moving to Brazilian club Corinthians, where he won the league title. His moves to English clubs West Ham United in 2006 and Manchester United in 2007 were plagued by issues relating to his third-party ownership by Media Sports Investment, and their resulting sagas paved the way for changes to both Premier League and FIFA regulations. Tevez won six trophies at United, including two Premier League titles and a UEFA Champions League.
In 2009, Tevez joined Manchester United's rivals Manchester City. In the 2010–11 season he won the Premier League Golden Boot, and in the 2011–12 season he won another Premier League title. In 2013, he joined Juventus, where he won two Scudetti among other trophies. He returned to Boca Juniors in June 2015, before joining Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua the following years in a deal which made him one of the highest-paid footballers in the world. He again returned to Boca Juniors for a third spell in 2018, and won the 2017–18 and 2019–20 Primera División titles.
Tevez made his international debut for Argentina in 2004, earning 76 caps and scoring 13 times for the side. A gold medal and Summer Olympics Golden Boot winner at the 2004 Olympics, he also played at two FIFA World Cups, a FIFA Confederations Cup and four Copa América tournaments. He has been awarded the South American Footballer of the Year three times, the Footballer of the Year of Argentina twice, and the Argentine Sportsperson of the Year once. He has also been named in the South American Team of the Year three times. He announced his retirement from professional football in June 2022.
Early life
Tevez was born Carlos Alberto Martínez by his mother's surname in Ciudadela, Buenos Aires Province, and raised in the neighbourhood of Ejército de Los Andes, better known as "Fuerte Apache". It was from there he received the nickname of "El Apache". His biological parents were Juan Alberto Cabral and Fabiana "Trina" Martínez. He was adopted by his maternal aunt Adriana Noemí Martínez and her husband Segundo Raimundo Tévez. His adopted parents changed his surname to his adopted father's during a conflict between his junior club All Boys and Boca Juniors.Tevez has a distinctive burn scar that runs down his neck from his right ear to his chest. He was accidentally scalded with boiling water as a child, which caused third-degree burns and kept him hospitalised in intensive care for nearly two months. After joining Boca Juniors, Tevez refused an offer from the club to have them cosmetically improved, saying the scars were a part of who he was in the past and who he is today.
The early life of Tevez was featured in Apache: The Life of Carlos Tevez , an eight-part 2019 Argentine television series starring Balthazar Murillo, Sofía Gala and Vanesa González.
Club career
Boca Juniors
At age 16, Tevez made his debut for Boca Juniors against Talleres de Córdoba in the Torneo Apertura of the 2001–02 Argentine Primera División, on 21 October 2001. Boca Juniors were crowned champions of the 2001 Copa Libertadores and faced Bayern Munich at the 2001 Intercontinental Cup on 27 November, where they lost 1–0, although Tevez was not included in the squad. He went on to score 1 goal in 11 league appearances in the 2001–02 season. Boca had finished in first place of their 2002 Copa Libertadores group and had reached the quarter-finals, where they faced Paraguay's Club Olimpia on 8 May. Tevez scored after 18 minutes in the first-leg to give Boca Juniors a 1–0 lead, until Olimpia levelled the scores in the 67th minute when Boca defender Cristian Traverso scored an own goal. Boca lost the second-leg 1–0 in Asunción on 16 May. Boca finished three points behind Independiente to finish in second position during the Torneo Apertura. Boca Juniors eventually finished four points behind River Plate to claim second position in the Torneo Clausura.Tevez scored 10 goals in 32 appearances for Boca during the 2002–03 season. During the 2002 Copa Sudamericana, Boca were eliminated 3–1 on aggregate by Gimnasia de La Plata in the first round. Boca participated at the 2003 Copa Libertadores and reached the final of the competition, where they faced Santos. Boca won 5–1 on aggregate, with Tevez scoring in the 3–1 away win in the second leg. Tevez was also voted as the tournament's best player. Tevez scored 12 goals in 23 appearances during the 2003–04 season. Boca were crowned champions of the Torneo Apertura, where Tevez finished as the Apertura's seventh top goalscorer with eight goals. Boca then finished in second spot of the Torneo Clausura, four points behind River Plate. During the 2003 Copa Sudamericana, Boca Juniors reached the quarter-final stages where they were eliminated by Colombia's Atlético Nacional 5–1 on aggregate. During the 2003 Intercontinental Cup, Tevez, who had just returned to the side from injury, entered the field in the 73rd minute for Guillermo Barros Schelotto, as Boca Juniors defeated Milan 3–1 on penalties to claim the Intercontinental Cup.
Boca had reached the final of the 2004 Copa Sudamericana, where they beat Bolivia's Bolívar 2–1 on aggregate. Tevez scored in Boca's 2–0 second-leg win. Boca finished as runners-up of the 2004 Copa Libertadores. Tevez scored in both games of Boca's round of 16 wins against Peru's Club Sporting Cristal. Tevez also scored for Boca Juniors in their 2–1 second-leg loss to arch rivals River Plate, having drawn them level 2–2 on aggregate, which Boca went on to win 5–4 on penalties. Tevez was sent off for imitating a chicken when celebrating a goal against River Plate, clearly mocking the opposition crowd, with River called 'Gallinas' by other fans for their habit choking late on. Boca played against Colombia's Once Caldas in the final, where after drawing 1–1 on aggregate, Boca lost 2–0 on penalties. Tevez scored two goals in nine league appearances in the Torneo Apertura of the 2004–05 season. Boca Juniors faced Peru's Cienciano in the 2004 Recopa Sudamericana on 7 September. Tevez scored after 33 minutes to give Boca Juniors a 1–0 lead, but Cienciano equalised and the match was decided by a penalty shoot-out. Boca lost 4–2 on penalties, where Tevez had failed to convert his side's second spot-kick.
During his time at Boca Juniors, Tevez was listed by the media as a potential heir to Diego Maradona, whose number 10 shirt he had inherited at the club.
Corinthians
In January 2005, Tevez was transferred to Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club Corinthians for $16 million cash and youth players worth $2 million. Kia Joorabchian and Tevez also received an additional 15% and 10% transfer fee respectively. The transfer fee has also been reported as $22 million. Tevez signed a five-year, £6.85 million contract following the Brazilian club's deal with Media Sports Investment. The deal was the biggest transfer ever in South American football. Investigation by Brazilian police later revealed MSI owned 35% of the player rights while another 65% owned by Just Sport Limited, another BVI company.Tevez made his debut for the club on 29 January, in a 1–0 victory against America-SP. He scored his first goal on 5 February, in a 2–0 away victory against Inter de Limeira. Five days later, he scored a brace in a 3–1 victory against Rio Branco. Tevez ended the Campeonato Paulista with seven goals in 13 games.
On 21 April, during the Copa do Brasil QF, Tevez scored in a 2–0 win against Figueirense. Tevez played in the second leg, which ended in a penalty shootout victory for Figueirense, as they had levelled the aggregate score at 2–2. During the cup campaign, Tevez scored four goals.
Tevez began the Campeonato Brasileiro by scoring on the first matchday, a 2–2 draw against Juventude. During the campaign, Tevez scored multiple important goals, such as a brace at home to Coritiba, followed by braces away from home against Ponte Preta and Flamengo. He also scored a hat trick in a 7–1 victory over Santos on 6 November. With 20 goals, Tevez captained Timão to the league title, and was named the league's best player by the Brazilian Football Confederation, becoming the first non-Brazilian player to win the award since 1976.
After scoring in a match against Fortaleza in July 2006, Tevez celebrated by putting his index finder to his mouth to make a gesture asking for silence, a gesture which angered the Corinthians supporters; reports said that the fans later damaged his car. In response to the incident, Tevez apologized for the gesture, but threatened to leave the club if the violence continued, also adding that he would not take his daughter and wife to the stadium anymore. With the arrival of new manager Émerson Leão in August 2006, who stripped Tevez of the captaincy, Tevez requested to exit the club, saying that he would "not play as long as Leão is in charge". The Argentine striker's last match for the club was on 20 August 2006, a 1–0 victory at home to Botafogo.
Despite altercations with Marquinhos, Carlos Alberto, and some fans, Tevez left a legacy at the club. In a 2020 survey by GloboEsporte, Tevez was voted into the club's ideal XI for the 21st century. He had the third most votes, only behind Ronaldo Nazario and Marcelinho. Also that year, fans were asked in a survey if they wanted Tevez to return to Corinthians, with over 85% saying yes.
West Ham United
Tevez confirmed on his website on 31 August that both he and Corinthians teammate Javier Mascherano were signing for West Ham United on permanent deals for undisclosed fees.Tevez made his West Ham debut after coming on as a second-half substitute in the 1–1 home draw with Aston Villa on 10 September 2006. However, after this match, West Ham went on a nine-game winless streak, which included seven consecutive matches without scoring. This winless run also included going out of both the UEFA Cup and League Cup. In November of the same season, Tevez left the ground early after being substituted and throwing a tantrum during a league match against Sheffield United, and as punishment, his teammates decided Tevez had to donate half of a week's wages to charity and train in a Brazil jersey. Tevez refused to wear the shirt, saying, "I played in Brazil and have a great respect for Brazil and Brazilians but I'm Argentine and won't wear that shirt."
On 6 January 2007, Tevez made his first start for West Ham under the new management of Alan Curbishley in a 3–0 FA Cup third round victory over Brighton & Hove Albion. He scored his first West Ham goal and assisted two others on 4 March 2007 in a 4–3 home defeat to Tottenham Hotspur. In April 2007, West Ham were fined a record £5.5 million for breaching Premier League rules over the signings of Tevez and Mascherano. Nonetheless, Tevez was cleared to play for West Ham by the Premier League after changes were planned to be made to a third-party agreement related to him. That same month, Tevez was named the club's Hammer of the Year.
In relegation-threatened West Ham's final league match of the season against Manchester United on 13 May, Tevez scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory. The match result secured West Ham's stay in the top flight after Sheffield United's failure to beat Wigan Athletic at home on the same day.