The Tragic Tale of Tevez – And Parallels With Memento’s Leonard Shelby

ai???Heai??i??s finishedai???. A sad Roberto Mancini said about Carlos Tevez during his post-match press conference in Munich after his side lost 2-0 in the Champions League. The want-away Argentinean has never been happy in England, away from his family. While that seems like a reason we can all relate to, its veracity is perhaps something only Tevez, and maybe Kia Joorabchian, can truly attest to.

Everyone knows about his exploits. It was his emergence in Brazil at Corinthians that caught everyoneai??i??s eye in Europe. His move to London, controversially helping West Ham float with a goal at Old Trafford whereAi?? he moved to next on loan. He won medals there, including a Champions League, but then moved to Unitedai??i??s rivals under a cloud. He starred at Manchester City and captained the Blues to an FA Cup and a Champions League place. And now we are in the present, where things have come to a head and he seems destined to spend the remaining part of the year without stepping onto the Etihad complex.

 

Welcome Home ... Or Not

Carlos Tevez has never been a person to stand at one place at a time, literally and figuratively. On the pitch, he is bustling about winning tackles, creating spaces for himself or running with the ball. Off it, heai??i??s changing clubs at regular intervals. Every club he has played for, he has left whining and complaining about some perceived slight. He was not completely happy at Boca Juniors in Argentina, and made a move to Brazil to play for Corinthians. After a successful year at Corinthians, he was reported to be unhappy in Brazil. Complains about the difficulty of non-Brazilians playing in Brazil was at the top of the list. Tevez refused to play for Corinthians and in 2006 he was sold to West Ham United for an undisclosed fee. Ai??At Upton Park, he threw tantrums and made noises about being substituted. His ownership by a third party caused multiple issues as Sheffield United contested their relegation on the basis that Tevez and fellow Argentinean Mascherano had breached Premier League rules. That led to a settlement where West Ham were made to pay A?20 million to United. Then came his protracted move to Old Trafford.

Manchester United, Kia Joorabchian and West Ham United went to court over the move. Rejecting moves to Inter Milan in between, Tevez was reportedly happy in England. He was a success at United and thoughts of him being a controversy seemed far and wide. But then came Alex Fergusonai??i??s decision to not sign Tevez at the end of the season. While gathering support from the crowd, Tevez rejected an offer from United that would keep him there for five more years. The crowd at games voiced their opinion chanting ai???Fergie, sign him upai??? with Tevez cupping his ears towards the dugout. While opinion was divided over Sir Alexai??i??s decision, Tevez signed for neighbors Manchester City. During the saga, Tevez made public his dislike for Manchester. ai???It rains all the timeai???, he complained. The press pointed out that Tevez had made little effort to learn English. While making comments like he missed his family, who were in Argentina at that time, he moved across town to the Eastlands. If Tevez wasnai??i??t a controversial figure as of yet, he was to become one during the next couple of seasons.

His first season at City started well, and he scored against United and pointed out to Sir Alex just what he was missing out on. Gary Neville had to come to his managerai??i??s defense, having a spat with Tevez publicly. During the season, Tevez performed well for City, but moaned about having no friends and his plight regarding his family again. His first season did not end in getting City anywhere except for losing Mark Hughes as manager. In stepped Mancini, and a battle was about to begin.Ai?? To placate Tevez, Mancini made him captain during the 2010-11 season as there were signs of him being unsettled.Ai?? In December, he wanted out of City because of differences with the board and Mancini.

Many believed the reason for this behavior was Kia Joorabchian. It was said that Joorabchian was whispering in Tevez’s ear about a possible move because he himself was not getting along with the board at City. Things seemed to reach a boiling point when Tevez made a transfer request which was denied by City. He was already on a contract that made him the highest paid player at City and would remain so as a clause to keep him the highest paid player at City was inked in. With Mancini and, supposedly, Zabaleta putting out the fire, Tevez resumed normal service at the Eastlands.

 

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

Things rolled on as the season progressed and inevitably, Tevez was up against United again in the FA Cup semifinal. He apparently missed it with a hamstring injury, but insiders claimed that he was unhappy with Manciniai??i??s strategy and said they would lose and that he didnai??i??t want to play. He was out of the game as City one-upped over their neighbors to reach the final and eventually win the trophy. With that trophy came the news that he wanted to go to Italy. Rumors of a possible move to Inter were circulating although Tevez said he would stay in Manchester if his family issues were solved.

Of course, that did not stop him from saying that he ai???would not even return there on vacationai???. During the summer break, he returned to Argentina for the Copa America. At that time, speculations rose that he would not even return to England and Manchester City were trying to offload him, along with many others. Corinthians were lined up to buy him for a fee in the region of A?40 million. Corinthians, who had made some money in the last few seasons, were willing to buy, but negotiations went south as Tevezai??i??s salary and the transfer fee were out of their league. Links to Real Madrid and Inter still lingered, but they were just news. And so, Tevez had to remain at Eastlands, where he had vowed never to return.

As the current season has progressed, Tevez has been making himself as unpopular as he can. Being left on the bench for many games and sometimes not even substituted, his frustration has grown and with his constant desire to leave the club and country, he has been on the edge. Last season he had a touchline row with Mancini on being substituted in a game that was virtually won, with him being the man of the match. Mancini calmed the fires by applauding his passion to keep playing, apparently masking his anger and giving Tevez another chance.

 

Ties That Bind

Despite repeated proclamations of a desire to leave the club, he has stayed put. There are parallels with Rooney last season, seeing as how both playersai??i?? agents made their charges doubt their managers. Mancini needs to take a page out of Sir Alexai??i??s book. He has too many egos to control in the dressing room, the biggest of all being Tevez. Sir Alex must have had an inkling of this behavior when he elected not to sign Tevez. Manchester United supporters, must be relieved to know that itai??i??s not their problem.

The apparent climactic ending of the Tevez-Manchester City saga is in near sight. After refusing to take the field at Munich during the week, Tevez has made himself Public Enemy number one. Putting it down to a misunderstanding, he has tried to make amends. But itai??i??s apparent that things have gone too far. Mancini, understandably, does not want him in his squad anymore. Graeme Souness labeled Tevez ai???a disgrace to footballai???. Few, if any, have come to his support. City have banned him for two weeks and are contemplating a ban for the rest of the year. From Tevezai??i??s point of view, he is disappointed at not being put in the starting line-up regularly, and feels his manager has lost faith in him. But then, thatai??i??s his own doing.

For someone who ostensibly misses home, moving to Spain or Italy would geographically only take him further. Carlos Tevez will keep us tuned in till he throws in his hat. Of course, he has been threatening to do that all through last season. And maybe he will. Maybe he wonai??i??t. Maybe heai??i??ll still be at City. Maybe heai??i??ll be in Argentina trying to revive River Plate. Who knows. Regardless of where he ends up next, one day he’ll look back at a career that promised and delivered so much, a cupboard filled with silverware, a host of memories, a range of conquests, but not one home stadium crowd singing his name off the rooftops. A paradox of the highest order – a man so eternally obsessed with his search for home, that he wouldn’t stay even if he got there. A bit like Leonard Shelby in Memento.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the tragic tale of Carlos Tevez.

Article written by Guest Author – Aditya Inamdar

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