Carlos Alberto Tevez (Latin American Spanish: ; né Martínez; born 5 February 1984) is an Argentine professional football manager and former player. A quick, tenacious, powerful, hard-working and dynamic forward in his prime, Tevez was capable of playing as a striker, as a winger, as a supporting forward, or as an attacking midfielder. He is the current head coach of Primera División club Independiente.
Tevez began his career with Boca Juniors, winning the Copa Libertadores and Intercontinental Cup in 2003 before moving to Brazilian club Corinthians, where he won the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A. His moves to English clubs West Ham United in 2006 and Manchester United in 2007 were plagued by issues relating to his third-party ownership by Media Sports Investment, and their resulting sagas paved the way for changes to both Premier League and FIFA regulations.
In 2009, Tevez joined Manchester United's rivals Manchester City. In the 2010–11 season he won the Premier League Golden Boot, and in the 2011–12 season he won the Premier League title. In 2013, he joined Juventus, where he won two Scudetti among other trophies. He returned to Boca Juniors in June 2015, before joining Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua the following years in a deal which made him one of the highest-paid footballers in the world. He again returned to Boca Juniors for a third spell in 2018, and won the 2017–18 and 2019–20 Primera División titles.
Tevez made his international debut for Argentina in 2004, earning 76 caps and scoring 13 times for the side. A gold medal and Summer Olympics Golden Boot winner at the 2004 Olympics, he also played at two FIFA World Cups, a FIFA Confederations Cup and four Copa América tournaments. He has been awarded the South American Footballer of the Year three times, the Footballer of the Year of Argentina twice, and the Argentine Sportsperson of the Year once. He has also been named in the South American Team of the Year three times. He announced his retirement from professional football in June 2022.
Tevez was born Carlos Alberto Martínez by his mother's surname in Ciudadela, Buenos Aires Province, and raised in the neighbourhood of Ejército de Los Andes, better known as "Fuerte Apache". It was from there he received the nickname of "El Apache". His biological parents were Juan Alberto Cabral and Fabiana "Trina" Martínez. He was adopted by his maternal aunt Adriana Noemí Martínez and her husband Segundo Raimundo Tévez. His adopted parents changed his surname to his adopted father's during a conflict between his junior club All Boys and Boca Juniors.
Tevez has a distinctive burn scar that runs down his neck from his right ear to his chest. He was accidentally scalded with boiling water as a child, which caused third-degree burns and kept him hospitalised in intensive care for nearly two months. After joining Boca Juniors, Tevez refused an offer from the club to have them cosmetically improved, saying the scars were a part of who he was in the past and who he is today.
On 21 June 2022, shortly after announcing his retirement as a player, Tevez was appointed as head coach of Argentine Primera División side Rosario Central. After just five months in charge, he resigned at the end of the 2022 Argentine Primera División season, citing the club's upcoming directorial elections.
In August 2023, Tevez became the manager of Independiente. On 9 December 2023, Tevez extended his contract with Independiente until 31 December 2026.
Tevez once performed as the front-man for his cumbia villera musical group Piola Vago alongside his brother Diego. The group's most successful hit, "Lose Your Control", charted in Argentina.
On 6 February 2009, Tevez was stopped by Greater Manchester Police near junction 7 of the M60 motorway. It was found Tevez was driving without a full UK driving licence and with illegally tinted windows. His car was then impounded by the police since he could not arrange for it to be removed himself.
In 2010, he was in an open relationship with 19-year-old actress Brenda Asnicar that lasted about a year.
Tevez, a keen golfer, caddied for his friend Andrés Romero at the 2012 Open Championship.
On 22 December 2016, Tevez married 32-year-old Vanesa Mansilla in his homeland Argentina. They have two daughters together: Florencia and Katia.
In a 2023 interview, Tevez said that during his time in England he had refused to learn English as he had a "cultural problem with the English". This had a happened as he blamed the English for the Falklands War in which his uncle had taken part and after which he had become an alcoholic.
Serie A Footballer of the Year 2015-12-31 | Serie A Hat-Trick 2013-12-15 |
1992-1997 |
1997-2001 |
2002-2005 |
2004-2015 |
2005-2006 |
2006-2009 |
2007-2009 |
2009-2013 |
2013-2015 |
2015-2017 |
2017-2018 |
2018-2021 |
2022-2022 Manager |
2023-2024 Manager |
| Manchester City | Appearances | English Premier League | 2010-2011 | 31 |
| Manchester City | Assists | English Premier League | 2010-2011 | 6 |
| Manchester City | Goals | English Premier League | 2010-2011 | 20 |
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