Juventus ended their search for a world-class attacker by signing the Argentine this season, and tactically the former Boca Juniors star is the dream player for the Italians.
Personal information
Full name: Carlos Alberto Martínez
Date of birth: 5 February 1984, age 29
Place of birth: Ciudadela, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina
Height: 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Playing position: Forward
Club information
Current club: Juventus
Number: 10
Youth career
1992–1996: All Boys
1997–2001: Boca Juniors
Senior career
2001–2004: Boca Juniors 110 Appearances, 38 goals
2004–2006: Corinthians 76 Appearances, 46 goals
2006–2007: West Ham United 29 Appearances, 7 goals
2007–2009: Manchester United 99 Appearances, 34 goals
2009–2013: Manchester City 138 Appearances, 73 goals
2013– Juventus 7 Appearances, 3 goals
National team
2001 Argentina U17: 6 Appearances, 2 goals
2004 Argentina U23: 6 Appearances, 8 goals
2004–2011 Argentina: 62 Appearances, 13 goals
Ever since club legends Alessandro Del Piero and David Trezeguet began to age, Juventus have been crying out for a top-class centre forward. Despite dominating Italian football over the past two seasons under Antonio Conte, winning successive league titles and re-establishing themselves as a European heavyweight, the Bianconeri have possessed an undoubted Achilles heel in attack. Alessandro Matri top-scored with just 10 goals in 2011-12, while Mirko Vucinic did so with 13 last term.
Juventus’ attack has been carried by a mean defence and arguably the best centre midfield in Europe, something CEO Giuseppe Marotta looked to rectify this summer by signing Fernando Llorente from Athletic Bilbao and Carlos Tevez from Manchester City. Tevez was immediately branded the “top-player” who Juventus had been missing and it has taken the 29-year-old no time at all to justify this billing, scoring in three of his seven appearances thus far. Llorente was intended to be Tevez’s partner in attack in Conte’s 3-5-2 formation, the Spaniard as the penalty box striker and the Argentine as the second striker. But Llorente struggled in pre-season, meaning that Vucinic has retained his starting role alongside Tevez in most matches. The pairing didn’t seem an obvious fit, with both frontmen eager to occupy the same space in between the midfield and attack, but the results thus far have been spectacular. The link-up and understanding between the duo has bordered on telepathic at times. In the 4-1 league win over Lazio in Turin the pair successfully executed three dummy-one-twos.
Tevez alone is certainly a guarantee goal scorer, regardless of teammates or tactics. The Argentine is one of the most adaptable players in world football. He boasts all the technical and creative qualities to excel when the tempo is slow as it is in Italy and all the physical attributes to star in faster and more furious surroundings like the Premier League. This makes him the dream forward for any coach. When Juventus are dominating possession and territory as they often are with Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal and Paul Pogba. Tevez has the guile and skill to unlock the door. When they are playing a waiting game, as they often will away from home, Tevez has the pace and dynamism to devastate the opposition on the counter attack.
The happy-again Tevez also contains all the fighting qualities, that is so traditionally associated with Juventus. He has an incredible work-rate, always on the move to find space in offensive phases, and constantly pressing and harrying defenders to win the ball back. Against Lazio in Turin, Tevez even sprinted back to his own penalty area to make a tackle. “The way he sacrifices himself for the team, is incredible, he works like a mule,” remarked Giorgio Chiellini of his “world-class” colleague.
Carlos Tevez’s story is very similar to that of many other kids in Argentina. Born into poverty in a working-class neighbourhood in the province of Buenos Aires known as Fort Apache, he was able to escape thanks to football.
Even in those early street games, he displayed the fierceness, courage and poise that he would later exhibit on the pitches of Argentina and beyond. He started his road to stardom in the lower ranks of the local All Boys soccer club, and was acquired by Boca Juniors, the club that gave him his debut in the Argentine top division.
Coached by Carlos Bianchi, he became an idol and participated in one of the club’s most successful championship runs, winning the domestic league, the Copa Libertadores and an Intercontinental Cup in 2003. With Bianchi no longer at the helm of the team towards the end of 2004, Tevez left the club after securing another title, the Copa Sudamericana.
He arrived at Brazil’s Corinthians, where he earned the love of the fans and won a league title. After a successful World Cup with Argentina he was back up for auction once more. West Ham picked him up on a controversial third-party deal and he was a key figure in steering them clear of the drop that season.
The big clubs finally took notice, and Manchester United added him to their star-studded squad, though he struggled to find his place. He participated in several of the club’s successes, including winning a league title, the UEFA Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup in 2008. In 2009, his lack of playing time and subsequent differences with Sir Alex Ferguson saw Tevez accept an offer to play for neighbours and rivals Manchester City. He became the club’s most influential player and helped them to their first trophy since 1976 by winning the 2011 FA Cup, but then revealed that he wanted to move nearer to his family in the summer as a move back to Corinthians collapsed.
On 26 June 2013, Tevez signed a three-year contract with Italian Serie A champions Juventus. The transfer fee was £10m with an additional £2m in add-ons subject to performance. The fee combined with wages and bonuses due to Tevez in the final year of his contract was estimated to save Manchester City about £27m.
Tevez and Juventus are a match made in heaven. Physically, mentally, technically and tactically, Tevez is the complete player. Reaching at least the 20 goal mark in 2013-14 is a virtual certainty, and the only question is how long he can maintain his current levels of brilliance.
Turning 30 in February, the Argentine will begin to decline physically sooner rather than later. But this season at least, Juventus fans can sit back and enjoy the ride because Tevez is going to make them very happy.
