Carlos Tévez
Personal information
Full name	Carlos Alberto Tévez
Date of birth	5 February 1984 (1984-02-05) (age 24)
Place of birth	Ciudadela, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Height	1.69 m (5 ft 6+1⁄2 in)12
Playing position	Second striker
Club information
Current club	Manchester United (rights owned by Media Sports Investments)
Number	32
Youth clubs
1992–1996 1997–2001	All Boys Boca Juniors
Senior clubs1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
2001–2004 2005–2006 2006–2007 2007–	Boca Juniors Corinthians West Ham United Manchester United	75 (26) 53 (31) 26 0(7) 47 (16)
National team2
2004–	Argentina	44 0(7)
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 18:11, 26 December 2008 (UTC). 2 National team caps and goals correct as of 11:32, 11 October 2008 (UTC). * Appearances (Goals)

Olympic medal record
Competitor for  Argentina
Men's Football
Gold	2004 Athens	Team Competition

Carlos Alberto Tévez (born Carlos Alberto Martínez on 5 February 1984 in Ciudadela, Buenos Aires) is an Argentine footballer who currently plays for Manchester United in the Premier League. He was described by Diego Maradona as the "Argentine prophet for the 21st century."³

Background

Carlos Alberto Martínez was raised in the humble neighborhood of Ejército de Los Andes, better known as "Fuerte Apache." It was from there where he got the nickname of "Apache." His parents changed his surname to his mother's during a conflict between his junior club All Boys and Boca Juniors.⁴

Tévez has a distinctive burn mark from his right ear, down his neck to his chest which was caused by an accident with boiling water when he was a child.⁵ This caused third-degree burns to the right side of his face, neck and chest and left him in intensive care for almost two months. Today, the scars are a highly visible feature of Tévez, who did not get them fixed because he was playing in a junior football team. He refused an offer from his then club, Boca Juniors, to have them cosmetically improved, saying that the scars were a part of who he was in the past and who he is today.⁶

Club career

Boca Juniors

He joined Boca at the age of sixteen and played his first professional match with Boca on 21 October 2001 against Talleres de Córdoba. He played for the team until the end of 2004. With Boca Juniors he won an Argentine Championship (2003), a Copa Libertadores (2003), an Intercontinental Cup (2003), and a Copa Sudamericana (2004). Because of the Intercontinental Cup of 2003, he did not participate in the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship with the Argentine team. Following Argentina's and Tévez's personal success at the 2004 Olympic Games, he was named Futbolista latinoamericano más destacado ("Most notable Latin American footballer") in 2004 by Latin American Fox Sports. In addition, the Argentine Football Writers chose him as Footballer of the Year and Sportsman of the Year 2004.

Tévez with Brazilian president Lula

Corinthians

In December 2004, he transferred to Sport Club Corinthians Paulista for $20 million with a five-year contract worth $10 million, following the Brazilian club's deal with Media Sports Investments. The deal was the biggest transfer ever in South American football. Initially, Tévez was not well received by the Corinthians fans – including Brazilian president Lula. However, Tévez became the captain and star of the team that won the 2005 Brazilian league and the fans' favourite player. When the 2005 Brazilian league ended, he was granted the award of best player of the tournament by the Brazilian Football Federation, becoming the first non-Brazilian player to win that award since 1976.

West Ham United

On 23 August 2006, Sky Sports revealed that Tévez was refusing to play for Corinthians.⁷ The article insinuated that a move to Europe was likely, with Chelsea and Manchester United both mentioned as possible destinations. Yet on Thursday, 31 August 2006, the day of the European transfer deadline, Tévez confirmed on his website that both he and Javier Mascherano were signing for West Ham United on permanent deals, for £12 million.⁸⁹ The deal shocked the football world and controversy surrounded the move's exact nature and terms, with media reports suggesting that several other Premiership clubs turned down the opportunity of signing Tévez and Mascherano because of the stipulations put in place by the owner of the players' contracts, Media Sports Investments.¹⁰

Following the arrivals of Tévez and Mascherano, West Ham failed to win for nine games (one draw and eight defeats), including seven consecutive matches without scoring. On 5 October 2006, Argentina manager Alfio Basile urged the pair to quit West Ham. Just three days later, however, Tévez told the media that he was aiming to stay at West Ham "for the long-term". Until West Ham's 1-0 defeat by Chelsea on 18 November 2006, he had not played for West Ham since coming off the bench against Tottenham on 22 October 2006 (a game West Ham lost 1-0), during which time West Ham had managed to end their losing streak. Tévez also left the ground early after being substituted and throwing a mini tantrum versus Sheffield United in November. As punishment, which was decided upon by his Upton Park team mates, Tévez had to donate half of a week's wages to charity and train in a Brazil shirt. Tévez refused to wear the Brazil 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".¹¹

Tevez (left) in West Ham colours

On 17 December 2006, the News of the World revealed that Tévez said he was surprised Alan Pardew had not been sacked earlier than now and that he criticized Pardew's management.¹²

On 6 January 2007, Tévez made his first start for West Ham United under the management of Alan Curbishley against Brighton & Hove Albion in the FA Cup Third Round. West Ham United won the game 3–0, Tevez had no roles in the goals however, Boa Morte provided two assists for the 1st and 2nd goal whilst Shaun Newton crossed for the third. However, during a Premier League clash against Fulham, Tévez suffered an injury that was expected to keep him out for a sustained period of time, but he soon began full training again and came on as a substitute against Watford on 10 February in a 1-0 defeat.

Tévez scored his first goal for the club on 4 March 2007 in a 3-4 home defeat to Tottenham, scoring from a direct free kick and assisting West Ham's other two goals on the day.¹³ He scored his third consecutive goal for West Ham in the 2-0 win against Middlesbrough, after having set up Bobby Zamora for the first. It was his first goal from open play in a West Ham shirt and he was named Man of the Match.

In April, following a record £5.5m fine for West Ham for breaching Premier League rules over the signings of Tévez and Mascherano, Tévez was cleared to play for West Ham by the Premier League after changes were made to a third party agreement related to him.¹⁴

In April 2007, the Argentine picked up the Player of the Year Award from club magazine Hammers News and also received the Hammer of the Year award from West Ham United.¹⁵ In May, he inspired West Ham to a 3-0 win over relegation rivals Wigan, and then scored a brace and set up a Mark Noble volley the following week against Bolton.

In West Ham's final game of the season against the recently crowned champions, Manchester United, on 13 May 2007, Tévez secured the club's Premier League status by scoring the only goal in a 1-0 victory. Due to Wigan Athletic's 2-1 win over Sheffield United on the same day, a loss to Manchester United would have resulted in West Ham's relegation.

Tévez's return to Upton Park, with Manchester United, on 29 December 2007 saw him met with a warm reception; an extended round of applause before kick-off and chants of "there's only one Carlos Tévez" throughout the match. Significantly Carlos chose to openly return the gesture by repeatedly crossing his arms in front of his chest, in reference to West Ham's nickname 'the Hammers'.¹⁶

2007 transfer saga

Tévez's future at West Ham was the subject of constant speculation ever since he signed for the Hammers, with the media linking him to a host of European clubs, including Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Internazionale. However, West Ham stated repeatedly that they owned his registration and did not wish to sell him.

At the end of June, Tévez rejected a move to Internazionale, having been given a deadline for his decision by the Serie A champions.¹⁷ His agent, Kia Joorabchian, stated that he was in discussions with West Ham, as the player was settled in the Premiership and had publicly stated his desire to stay in England. Tévez went on to claim that he would not make a decision on his future until the Copa America finished in July, but on 5 July, the Daily Mail broke news that Tévez had reportedly agreed to join Manchester United in a deal worth £20 million, subject to an appeal from West Ham.¹⁸ In response to the rumoured deal, the Premier League issued a statement indicating they would block any proposed transfer unless they were certain West Ham would receive the majority of any transfer fee.¹⁹ The Premier League have insisted that "Any deal for Carlos Tévez has to be done directly with West Ham".²⁰

On 6 July, reports emerged that Tévez had agreed personal terms with Manchester United. Shortly thereafter, West Ham released a statement, saying "Carlos Tévez is a registered West Ham United player, contracted to the club until June 2010 [...] There is no agreement with West Ham United for Carlos Tevez to leave the club and we expect him to return in time for next season's preparations. No decision on his future can be reached without the agreement of West Ham United."²¹ In light of this statement, Kia Joorabchian claimed that permission had been given by West Ham, and that talks with United had taken place.²²

In the middle of July 2007, Manchester United and West Ham agreed to invite FIFA to rule on the ownership of Tévez, but on 24 July 2007, FIFA recommended that West Ham and Carlos Tévez refer the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.²³ However, Kia Joorabchian issued West Ham with a High Court writ "...to compel West Ham to release the registration of Carlos Tévez in accordance with contracts entered into between the parties.".²⁴ The High Court date was set for 22 August and was due to last three days. However, an agreement was reached between West Ham and MSI, with the approval of the Premier League, whereby MSI would pay £2 million to West Ham, who would then release Tévez from his registration with them.²⁵

Manchester United

Tévez taking a throw-in for Manchester United.

Following the payment of £2 million to West Ham by MSI, Tévez was formally released from his contract with West Ham United. Manchester United put forward a proposed two-year loan deal for Tévez to the Premier League, which was approved on 10 August.²⁶ He was given the number 32 jersey, the same number as that which he had worn at West Ham United. He made his debut in a 1-1 draw against Portsmouth on 15 August, starting in place of the injured Wayne Rooney, and setting up a goal for Paul Scholes.²⁷ On 23 September, he scored his first goal with a diving header, in a 2-0 victory for Manchester United against Chelsea at Old Trafford. In November, Sir Alex Ferguson confirmed that Manchester United wish to sign Tévez permanently. "He'll get me fifteen goals this season, and what's more, they'll be important goals."²⁸

Tévez scored a total of five goals during Manchester United's successful 2007-08 Champions League campaign. In the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final, Tévez scored the first penalty in the shootout against Chelsea, which Manchester United won 6-5 after the match had ended 1-1 after extra time.

In July 2008, Manchester United chief executive David Gill expressed the club's interest in securing Tévez's services on a permanent deal, saying that a deal was likely to be completed before the end of the year. Rumours eventually surfaced saying that the deal had hit delays, but the club was quick to deny the rumours, with a club spokesman stating that both they and Tévez were "relaxed about the situation". Tévez scored his first Premier League goal of the 2008-09 season on 13 September 2008, scoring in a 2–1 defeat away to Liverpool at Anfield. His second goal of the season came in the 1-0 victory against Queens Park Rangers on 11 November 2008, when he converted the resulting penalty after Danny Welbeck had been brought down in the box.²⁹

Tévez scored his first hat-trick for Manchester United on 3 December 2008, when he scored a total of four goals in United's 5–3 win over Blackburn Rovers in the League Cup Fifth Round.³⁰ This was also the first time in his career that he had scored four goals in a single match.³¹

Tévez's first Champions League goal of the season was scored against Aalborg on 10 December 2008. The goal was timed at two minutes and 41 seconds, and was therefore the quickest Champions League goal of the season so far.³² On 21 December 2008, Tévez started for United in the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup Final, but was withdrawn in the 51st minute in place of Jonny Evans after Nemanja Vidić was sent off.

International career

Tévez first came into prominence while playing for the under-17 side in the FIFA U-17 World Championship. He was a key part of Boca's victory in the 2003 Copa Libertadores but his greatest achievement was during the 2004 Olympic Games, where he won the gold medal with his team and scored eight goals in six matches to be the top scorer of the competition. He was the world's second Top Goal Scorer of 2004 in international competitions, one less than Ali Daei from Iran.³³

Tévez was selected by José Pekerman for Argentina for the 2006 World Cup. He started the first match against the Ivory Coast on the bench but came on as a substitute for the match against Serbia and Montenegro. He scored the fifth goal and assisted Lionel Messi's first goal which was Argentina's final goal in a superb 6-0 victory for them.

In Argentina's drawn final Group C match against Netherlands, Tévez played for the duration and emerged man of the match. Uruguayan referee Jorge Larrionda showed him a red card just 24 minutes into an eventual 2-1 defeat to Colombia in the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying phase in November 2007. Tevez returned to the national team for another World Cup qualification match against Paraguay, but was once again sent off early on (this time after 30 minutes) for a late tackle on Darío Verón, which Brazilian referee Carlos Eugênio Simon deemed a straight red offence.

Personal

Tévez performs as the frontman for his cumbia villera musical group, Piola Vago, with his brother Diego.³⁴ The group's most successful hit, "Lose Your Control," charted in Argentina.³⁵

Tévez is married, and he and his wife, Vanesa, have a daughter, Florencia.^{citation needed}

Career statistics

Statistics accurate as of match played 26 December 2008³⁷

Honours

Boca Juniors

• Copa Sudamericana: 2004
• Intercontinental Cup: 2003
• Primera División Apertura: 2003–04
• Copa Libertadores: 2003

Corinthians

• Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 2005

Manchester United

• Premier League: 2007–08
• FA Community Shield: 2008
• UEFA Champions League: 2007–08
• FIFA Club World Cup: 2008

International

• 2004 Summer Olympics: Gold medal
• South American U-20 Championship: 2003

Individual

• Copa Libertadores Most Valuable Player: 2003
• Silver Olimpia (Argentine Footballer of the Year): 2003, 2004
• Golden Olimpia (Argentine Sportsperson of the Year): 2004
• Olympic Golden Boot: 2004
• CBF Campeonato Brasileiro Best Player: 2005
• Placar Bola de Ouro: 2005
• South American Footballer of the Year: 2003, 2004, 2005

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Carlos Tévez

• Official Carlos Tévez website
• Carlos Tévez career stats at Soccerbase
• 4thegame.com profile
• Profile at BBC Sport

Carlos Tévez - Navigation boxes and awards v • d • e Argentina squad – Copa América 2004 Runners-up 1 Abbondanzieri • 2 Ayala • 3 Sorín • 4 Quiroga • 5 Mascherano • 6 Heinze • 7 Saviola • 8 Zanetti • 9 Figueroa • 10 D'Alessandro • 11 Tévez • 12 Cavallero • 13 Placente • 14 Rodriguez • 15 Fernández • 16 L.González • 17 M.González • 18 K.González • 19 Delgado • 20 Medina • 21 Rosales • 22 Coloccini • Coach: Bielsa v • d • e Argentina squad – 2004 Olympic Gold Medalists 1 Caballero • 2 Ayala • 3 Heinze • 4 Fernández • 5 K. Gonzalez • 6 Coloccini • 7 Saviola • 8 Mascherano • 9 Figueroa • 10 Tévez • 11 Delgado • 12 Rosales • 13 Rodríguez • 14 Medina • 15 D'Alessandro • 16 L. González • 17 M. González • 18 Lux • Coach: Bielsa v • d • e Argentina squad – 2006 FIFA World Cup 1 Abbondanzieri • 2 Ayala • 3 Sorín • 4 Coloccini • 5 Cambiasso • 6 Heinze • 7 Saviola • 8 Mascherano • 9 Crespo • 10 Riquelme • 11 Tévez • 12 Franco • 13 Scaloni • 14 Palacio • 15 Milito • 16 Aimar • 17 Cufré • 18 Rodríguez • 19 Messi • 20 Cruz • 21 Burdisso • 22 González • 23 Ustari • Coach: Pekerman v • d • e Argentina squad – Copa América 2007 Runners-up 1 Abbondanzieri • 2 Ayala • 3 Díaz • 4 Ibarra • 5 Gago • 6 Heinze • 7 Palacio • 8 Zanetti • 9 Crespo • 10 Riquelme • 11 Tévez • 12 Carrizo • 13 González • 14 Mascherano • 15 G.Milito • 16 Aimar • 17 Burdisso • 18 Messi • 19 Cambiasso • 20 Verón • 21 D.Milito • 22 Orión • Coach: Basile v • d • e South American Footballer of the Year 1971: Tostão | 1972: Cubillas | 1973: Pelé | 1974: Figueroa | 1975: Figueroa | 1976: Figueroa | 1977: Zico | 1978: Kempes | 1979: Maradona | 1980: Maradona | 1981: Zico | 1982: Zico | 1983: Sócrates | 1984: Francescoli | 1985: Romerito | 1986: Alzamendi | 1987: Valderrama | 1988: Paz | 1989: Bebeto | 1990: Amarilla | 1991: Ruggeri | 1992: Raí | 1993: Valderrama | 1994: Cafu | 1995: Francescoli | 1996: Chilavert | 1997: Salas | 1998: Palermo | 1999: Saviola | 2000: Romário | 2001: Riquelme | 2002: Cardozo | 2003: Tévez | 2004: Tévez | 2005: Tévez | 2006: Fernández | 2007: Cabañas | 2008: Verón Awards Preceded by Manu Ginóbili Olimpia de Oro 2004 (with Manu Ginóbili) Succeeded by David Nalbandian Preceded by Robinho Bola de Ouro Winner 2005 Succeeded by Lucas