carlos tevez interview
written by sergio levinsky
march 27 2008

as he nears the business end of a successful second season in england, carlos tevez runs the rule over the campaign so far – and talks boy bands and boca juniors
how do you rate your own performances so far this season – are you happy with how you’ve fitted in at manchester united?

“i’ve scored 15 goals so far, which isn’t bad, but i am still not at my true level yet. I can give even more. I’m playing at only 70 or 80 per cent of my ability, but i’m getting stronger with every game. I still need that extra bit, though – i usually fade a little in the last 25 minutes of matches.”

why do you think that is?
“i think my body needs a rest. I haven’t had one for two years now, because of playing for argentina at the world cup in 2006 and the copa américa in 2007. I really need a vacation this summer. I need to be able to enjoy some peace and quiet with my family, to have at least 20 days without doing anything. Let’s see how i do between now and the end of the season, though – hopefully i will get there in good shape.”

some said that your partnership with wayne rooney would never work but, together with cristiano ronaldo, you’ve formed a devastating attacking unit for united. Has that surprised you?
“no. We’re all players of a high level, of similar calibre, and paul scholes is incredible too. He is the architect of the team, the one who makes everybody play, and it’s a great pleasure to be part of that. Playing with players like that is a dream, but then you could also say it would be a dream for them to be playing with me, no?” [laughs] indeed.

What about your relationship with sir alex ferguson? he has the reputation of being quite the disciplinarian…

“alex is quite approachable, actually.”

alex? you don’t call him sir alex or mr ferguson? or mr alex?
“no, nobody does. To us, he is just alex.”

after almost two seasons in the premier league, do you feel that you’ve now fully adapted to the specifics of english football? “yes, last season was one of adaptation, but now it’s different. Now i have a better knowledge of the way the game is played here, the movement, the players…”

how was it last season? you had to wait what seemed like an age to be given a proper chance to shine at west ham. What happened there? [smiles] “last season was tough. I’d won the title in argentina with boca juniors and then with corinthians in brazil, but then i came to the premier league and i was like a nobody. Alan pardew didn’t play me at west ham, even though the fans were asking for me. I didn’t say anything at first, but one day i decided to do it. I was on the bench in one game and the fans were shouting my name. So i got up, tapped him on the shoulder and said: ‘mister, they are all chanting for me.’ he brought me on, and from that moment i showed how valuable i was to the team and made a name for myself… And, of course, we saved ourselves from relegation.

” your teammates call you ‘the lion’. What’s that all about? is it because you play with a lot of heart? “no, it’s because of my hair, because i never take care of it. I just show up at training wearing it however it is when i get out of bed. But that’s okay. At manchester united, i feel just like i am at home.”

didn’t you start out with a different name? “when i started out playing for all boys, i used the surname martínez, which is my mother’s name. That’s the normal thing to do in argentina, for boys who are hoping to become football stars. They don’t use their father’s name, because then it’s easier for the big clubs to sign them without having to pay too much. You make it to the top by changing names.”

our man in argentina explains… when a player knows that he’ll grow up to be a footballer, he uses a surname that doesn’t appear on his passport. Then, if a club signs him before the age of 16 and he then changes his name, it will be as if he never played for any other club – if he moves, his new club will not need to pay compensation. Because tevez played for all boys as martínez but signed for boca as tevez, boca could claim they had signed a new player with no previous form.

were you the star at all boys? [smiles] “i had a good time there. I played with guys older than me and normally started on the bench. We’d usually be losing, and my teammates always asked the coach to bring me on. I’d come on and dribble past all the opposition, but i wouldn’t score – on purpose. The coach would be on the sideline shouting: ‘when are you going to score?’ i’d signal back to him that there was still too much time left, but i always managed to turn the match around and score the winning goal. I enjoyed seeing them suffer on the bench – they all depended on me.”

back home, they’re currently making a film about you, directed by the famous argentinian actor gastón pauls. How’s it going? “i’ve been taking a peek at the script, and i like it. My life has been quite a story. There were tough times, growing up in fuerte apache (in buenos aires). When it was dark and you looked out of the window… Well, what you saw would scare anyone. After a certain hour, you couldn’t go into the street. It was incredible.”

is that where you got the broken teeth? “yes, that happened in a street fight in a row over money. In apache, you always played for money – even as a kid.” and the scar? “i had boiling water spilt on me. It was a defining experience – it marked me for life.”

you’ve always said that you’d never have plastic surgery? do you still feel that way? “of course. I am like that. You either take me as i am, or you don’t. The same goes for the teeth. I won’t change the way i am.”

you’re the singer in a ‘cumbia’ band called piola vago, together with several friends and cousins. You’re clearly a man of many talents – how serious is that sideline? “it’s just something a bit different. With piola vago, we just have fun – but, of course, my thing is football. That’s what makes me really happy and is where my main focus lies.”

you’ve spoken in the past about wanting to end your career back at boca. How long do you expect to play in england for? “i plan to play four or five seasons at man utd and then finish my career in argentina, wearing the boca jersey. One thing i am clear on is that i’ll finish my career at boca – they’re the club i support and i don’t see myself retiring from football without winning another league title in argentina. I left as a champion, winning the copa sudamericana with boca, and i’d love that to happen again before i finish.”

thanks and regards,
Miany

P.S: Aurelius, thanks for your response. Keep in
touch with us. Thanks for your contribution.