Carlos Tevez has admitted that his 2009 move from Manchester United to Manchester City was, in his own words, “like a revenge” on Sir Alex Ferguson for promises he says were never kept.
The Argentine crossed the city after a two-year loan spell at Manchester United from West Ham. He scored 34 goals in 99 appearances at Old Trafford, but the two parties never agreed a permanent deal.
Real Madrid were reportedly interested, yet it was City who won the race, paying a British-record £47million to bring him to the Etihad Stadium in the summer of 2009. He went on to spend four years with the Blues and scored 73 goals in 148 games.
Carlos Tevez explains why he chose Man City
Now 42, Tevez opened up on the switch in an interview with Rio Ferdinand Presents, as reported by the Manchester Evening News. The full episode goes out on Thursday morning.
Asked to pick between his two Manchester clubs, Tevez said: “Look, I feel like I left a lot, uh, at both teams. But if you make me choose, let’s say, uh, I had a great time at United. The other team, uh, City, for me, was like a revenge for for, how can I put it, uh, I didn’t get back what I gave.”
A loan, a promise and a pre-season in Los Angeles
A two-year loan was unusual even then, and FIFA banned the arrangement in 2022. Tevez was one of the few players to complete one, and after a string of strong displays a permanent move to United looked a formality.
According to the Argentine, Ferguson told him as much. Tevez recalled: “Fergie told me, ‘Carlos, I’m going to pay out your contract and you’re going to stay in Manchester’. The team went to a pre-season in Los Angeles.”
He added: “I remember this conversation with Fergie. He said ‘I’m going to pay for Berbatov but don’t worry, I’m going to buy you the thing and we’ll do your contract’.”
Tevez also pointed to the United supporters, who chanted for Ferguson to sign him up during games. “For me, the Man United fans understand,” he said.
Carlos Tevez on being pushed aside at United
The hurt is still clear. Tevez said he had given his heart to United, winning the Premier League and the Champions League, but did not feel the same in return.
“I think that Ferguson had, from the day we talked in Los Angeles up to six months to keep his word. And he didn’t. On the contrary, he started leaving me on the bench. In my head. He started pushing me aside so he could bring down what I was worth. And that’s what hurt me the most,” he explained.
He also claimed that United brought in another player to lower his price, and that by the second month of his second season he “didn’t want to know any more”.
Verdict: Carlos Tevez gave City far more than revenge
Whatever the motive, City got a serious return on that £47million. Seventy-three goals in 148 games is a fine haul for a forward who arrived as a statement signing, and the deal still belongs on any list of City’s best moments since 2010.
For United, the story is a reminder of how quickly a fan favourite can be lost when talks drag on. For City fans, who have enjoyed beating Manchester United plenty of times since, Tevez’s honesty only adds to the legend of the man who swapped red for blue.
Ferguson, by Tevez’s account, had six months to keep his word. City needed only one summer to take advantage, and the Argentine has finally said out loud what drove the move.
