Carlos Tevez has spoken about the moment he told Sir Alex Ferguson that he was leaving Manchester United for cross-town rivals Manchester City.
Of all the players to have played for both the red and sky-blue halves of Manchester, Tevez’s story is arguably the most infamous.
After controversially saving West Ham from relegation in 2006/07, Tevez joined United on loan and became an instant hit at Old Trafford.
In his debut season the Argentine striker scored 19 goals in all competitions as United completed a league and Champions League double, but during his second year things began to unravel.
A few miles east of Old Trafford, a revolution was taking shape at the Etihad Season. Sheikh Mansour bought City in 2008, and in 2009 he wanted to make Tevez one of his marquee signings.
Tevez was not only the kind of world-class player City wanted to fill their team with, but snatching him from United – their more successful sibling – would send a message that times were changing.
United decided to pay the £25m asking price for Tevez, but the player rejected the five-year contact offered to him. He instead joined City in the summer of 2009 for an undisclosed fee, a deal celebrated with the infamous ‘Welcome to Manchester’ billboard in Manchester city centre.
In a recent interview, Tevez explained why and how he left United.
“I was on loan at United. Ferguson told me that they were going to buy me, then he brought Berbatov and he didn’t put me in the league,” Tevez said, via Roy Nemer.
“The day before the Champions League final vs. Barcelona, I told him I was going to Manchester City.”
United lost that final 2-0 to Barcelona, with Tevez coming off the bench in the second half.
After the match, he wasted no time.
“I had more or less agreed with the Sheikh that after the game, I would take a private plane, go with my family to Abu Dhabi to meet him, and to settle the contract with City. It was like a dagger for him [Alex Ferguson].”
