Former problem child Carlos Tevez is thankfully no longer a headache for Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson. Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini is instead faced with the challenge of a multi million pound poker game being played by club Chief Executive Garry Cook, Football Administrator Brian Marwood, Tevez himself and his agent Kia Joorabchian. The row over Tevez’s future deepened further on Monday with City sources indicating that the club will sue if he walks away or pursue him through the courts for breach of contract if he simply decides not to play.
City also claims to have damning email evidence showing how Joorabchian asked for a contract extension for his client just a few weeks ago. This is denied by the Tevez camp with the player himself claiming that “I could have signed an improved contract offered by the club for this season however this decision is not about money. I have made that clear to both the board and the management on several occasions.”
Manchester City deny his version of events relating to a contract offer “Significantly, over recent months, the club has also received numerous requests from Carlos’ representative to renegotiate and improve his playing contract as well as more recently, a request to extend that contract by another year. This has not been granted. He is the highest paid player at the club.” So who are we supposed to believe?
Speculation can often be far off the mark. Guesswork and gut feelings often play a big part but it can also provide a glimpse of what may really be going on behind the spin. It may not turn out to be absolutely correct but the real truth can sometimes be very close to being right on the money. That truth may well involve Manchester United and more to the point, Wayne Rooney in the Tevez soap opera.
It has now emerged that Tevez first made City aware that he wanted out back in August – about the same time that Rooney did the same at United, coincidence? Nobody can say with any confidence whether both those decisions were made solely by the players themselves or whether they were heavily influenced by their respective, smooth talking agents.
After all, who would have hit an almighty jackpot if Rooney went to City and Tevez moved elsewhere in multi million transfer deals? Rooney’s agent Paul Stretford is reported to have been a long time friend of Marwood at City and both are said to have been totally confident of clinching the Rooney deal. Tevez’s representative Kia Joorabchian has now claimed that ‘broken promises’ are the reason for his player wanting to quit City. Did those ‘promises’ include allowing Tevez to go once the club was assured of getting the United striker?
Rooney’s unexpected U-turn left the Blues sitting between a rock and a hard place, forced to break the promise which had been made to Tevez. Could that be what Joorabchian is alluding to?
I initially had a lot of sympathy for a man who had his young children taken thousands of miles away by his former partner but that soon evaporated when Tevez spent his four days leave of absence sunning himself in the Caribbean. If a father was so devastated about losing his children that he was even contemplating retirement, why did he not jump on the first flight back to Buenos Aires instead of going away to ‘clear my head’ ?
There can be little doubt that the two agents involved played a huge role in the whole sorry saga. It also shows the wisdom of Ferguson’s decision to let Tevez leave Old Trafford. Now if only Rooney can come to his senses and gets rid of Stretford!
Would you have liked to see Tevez remain at Manchester United?
You Reds are pathetic. The great Sir Alex outsmarted Rooney, his agents, Tevez, his agents, and Man City in one fell swoop.
And Hitler is living on some island in the Pacific with Elvis, Princess Di and 2Pac.
Rooney had United’s pants down for one reason – money.
Tevez’ situation at City doesn’t appear to be money-orientated.
Very, very different.
no chance shitty r welcome to the money grabbing moaning pampered git glad 2 be rid of him + spark as 4 tevez’s cry baby anticts not being about money ask yourselfs y else then? uve invested in top players u look in good stead for a champions league place possibly more (doubtful but still possible) so it has 2 be he dont like mancini yet tevez said he has no problem with him its others in the club yet not the chairmen then who? smells fishy 2 me he’s a typical argie top class footballer yes but a pain in the arse and more trouble than hes worth with no loyaltys 2wards any club as he thinks hes bigger than football its self and can take as many libertys as he wants i hope u do sue him most of these modern day footballers could do with a reality check there actions are ruining the beautiful game
As a blue an interesting veiw who knows what has gone on i just know that who ever you support the fans who are the lifeblood of the game are having the piss taken out of them again.The new fair play rules are coning in and i just hope all clubs tell the gready gets to piss off with their wage demands.
at the end of they this time friday nite tevez will sign a new contract with city jiust like wayne rooney he is only after more money and he will get it
One word to describe a United fan after 1980 ‘Tumor’
City never contacted any representative of Rooney and the story was fabricated to push United into accepting Rooney’s demands.
FACTS.
From Football365’s mediawatch:
http://www.football365.com/mediawatch/0,17033,8749_6574820,00.html
“Sacrificial Lamb
Carlos Tevez, December 7: “I’m happy here. I really am. I do miss my family, just like anyone would when they are not around. But I don’t see retirement happening for a long time to come. A sacrifice has to be made when you make a commitment like I have done with City and it is something I am going to see through. Once that job is done I will have plenty of time with my kids.”
Carlos Tevez, December 12: “I wanted to leave in the summer, but was convinced to return to the club. Sadly, my feelings have not changed.”
A Brief History Of Carlos Tevez
The boy’s got form…
Boca Juniors (2001-2004)
Tevez forces his way out of the club claiming that the press intrusion in Argentina is too much for him and his family and the club aren’t doing enough to support him. Public bust-up with manager also ensues.
Claims he loves the club and supporters, and always will.
Time at club: Two-and-a-half seasons.
Corinthians (2005-2006)
Tevez forces his way out of the club, going on strike, after arguments – some physical – with teammates, the head coach and the club president.
Claims he loves the club and supporters, and always will.
Time at club: One season.
West Ham (2006-2007)
Tevez almost immediately falls out with the manager and players. Storms off and threatens to go on strike after being substituted. Goes AWOL to Argentina at one point.
Claims he loves the club and supporters, and always will.
Time at club: One season.
Manchester United (2007-2009)
Tevez complains of being fatigued and overplayed in his first season. In his second, he complains of being underplayed – drama queening it every time he’s taken off – managing just five goals, despite playing more minutes than the league’s third top scorer Fernando Torres. Parting shot of “I’ll scream in Ferguson’s face when I score against them”.
Claims he loves the club and supporters, and always will.
Time at club: Two seasons.
Manchester City (2009-????)
Tevez is tired, homesick, wants to retire, takes time off to see his daughter and is caught on camera spending that time allegedly banging his mistress (the actually banging remains unphotographed), feels there’s too much greed in football despite being the highest-paid player in Britain, hates football in general yet throws a wobbly every time he’s taken off, wants his old life back, hates the club executives, claims that he would like to punch his young teammates and finally hands in a transfer request.
Claims he loves the club and supporters, and always will.
Time at club: One-and-a-half seasons so far, some of it begrudgingly.
Who would sign him now?”
Interesting theory Frank… at first I scoffed and thought what a load of rubbish but when you start to think it thru that scenario does answer a lot of questions…
Possibly for me the biggest pointer to this was Noel Gallagher’s comments just before the World Cup (after having lunch with Garry Cook); “Players coming and going, and where they are going to and where they are coming from, the transfer dealings will blow your mind” to me this can only point to United’s involvement at some stage (I thought it at the time)
@ Bluefen, just a little story mate. Do you remember Christian Vieri the Italian international who played for so many clubs? Juventus, Athletico Madrid, Inter Milan, Monaco, Fiorentina, Pisa, Lazio, Torino and goodness knows who else. I got to know him when he was growing up in Sydney where his dad was playing for a number of years.
I asked him on one of his visits to Australia why he changes clubs nearly every year. His brutally honest answer was “That’s the way you make money, big money”
Now that was in the mid 90’s, ask yourself what it must be like today with all the shady, greedy agents virtually running players lives? Is there anything else that needs to be said?
Wow.. City now have so many talking fans. Shut up dudes. Learn the trade first.