It’s been a couple of days since Carlos Tevez infamously refused to play football in Munich, and by now the poor sod is covered from head to toe in the brownest, smelliest mud you can find.
The Argentinean has been chastised by all sections of the media, with the tabloids in particular completely annihilating him. Fellow players, managers, fans, and journalists have all been catapulting condemnation into his face since the moment the whole misunderstanding on Tuesday night.
Tevez has made himself a complete embarrassment, not just to his club but to his profession. Every other worker outside of the football bubble has to work to earn their feed regardless of whether they want to or not. Train drivers don’t turn up to the station and decide they don’t feel like driving the train so therefore don’t, do they?
If you’re being paid (massive amounts of money I might add) to play football and you don’t play football, then why oh why are you being paid at all? A similar thing happened earlier in the season when Luka Modric requested not to play for Tottenham in their match against Manchester City. These players sign hefty contracts with basic responsibilities, namely to play football, and if they’re fit then they should be out there helping their team!
But is it completely fair to lambaste Tevez for his actions in Germany? Is he a disgrace? Well, yes he is, but I find it difficult to place all the blame on Carlos’ shoulders.
Have a look at the people who pay his wages: Manchester City Football Club. They believe Tevez is under contract with them so is therefore obliged to play for them when picked. But in reality he has never worked for Manchester City, in fact he hasn’t worked for a football club since he last played in Argentina. Carlos Tevez has only ever had one boss: his agent.
That man is Kia Joorabchian, an agent who seeks out talent such as Tevez’s and leeches every last drop of sustenance from them before throwing them on the scrap-heap.
Sure, all agents are like this, but Tevez is a very unique individual in the world game, especially in Europe. He was quite literally owned by Joorabchian . Back in 2004 when Joorabchian founded Media Sports Investments, he purchased the Brazilian club Corinthians and subsequently bought Carlos Tevez from Boca Juniors. However Tevez’ ‘economic rights’ were owned by Joorabchian himself, not Media Sports Investments or Corinthians. Wherever he was told to play, he played, and that’s how it’s always been for Tevez. Technically Manchester City own the player now, after paying Joorabchian around £30 million for the ‘economic rights’. But Joorabchian wasn’t done there. There is even more blood to be sucked.
He’s still Tevez’ agent, and most trusted advisor. Do people really think that Tevez listens to his manager, Roberto Mancini? Of course he doesn’t. If Mancini told him to head West of Germany and Joorabchian told him to head East, I think we all know young Carlos would be in Russia in next to no time.
Tevez has done this before of course, at Corinthians when he refused to play for them back in 2006. That resulted in a random move over to West Ham, conveniently with Joorabchian's other whore Javier Mascherano. Since then Joorabchian has pimped out Tevez to Manchester United and then sold the rights to the player for a big cash jackpot to Manchester City. Of course Tevez has made his millions from all of this too, but people really shouldn’t expect loyalty from a player such as this, who doesn’t know the meaning of the word (no really, five years in England; still doesn’t know more than seven words).
Tevez obviously wants out, citing that he’s homesick for Argentina (Lord knows how Inter came close to signing him then) but Manchester City have done all they can in securing a move for the player. They’ve made him available for transfer, carried on paying his wages and replaced him with Sergio Agüero. Tevez’s problem, it seems, is that he hasn’t been able to move on yet.
The main stumbling block is the price tag, over £30 million, but City are more than entitled to hold out for that fee. When Tevez joined the club he signed a contract until 2014. He must honour that and realise that City cannot simply offload him for a huge loss. It isn't City's fault that the Brazilian transfer window closes earlier than England's.
What worries me is that once again it’s Joorabchian who’s pulling the strings. Has he advised a move away from City so he can make money from his client again on a hefty transfer fee while the player is still obtaining maximum value? Just as he allegedly did when both parties left Corinthians (Media Sports Investments). “Just tell them you miss your family Carlos, keep bringing your kids onto the pitch.” I wouldn’t put it past him.
People should never be able to ‘own’ other people, no matter what profession you’re in. The only thing that makes it different to slavery is the fact Tevez is paid quite handsomely. He is simply driven around the world in Joorabchian’s flashy car, and wherever it parks, that’s where he plays. No ifs, no buts.
Tevez hasn’t been at a club for more than two years in his whole career post-Boca Juniors. And every time he moves, there’s a fee. It’s good business for Joorabchian to continuously move his player on so as to receive big cash injections on the transfer fees. Tevez is a business asset to him, just as a pimp’s assets are his prostitutes. There is little discrepancy between the two business models.
The only difference is of course it’s Manchester City, its fans and the entire game who are being screwed.
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