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Carlos Tevez has broken his silence on the controversial move that took him from Manchester United to Manchester City in 2009, revealing a broken promise from Sir Alex Ferguson sat behind one of the most explosive transfers in Premier League history. The Argentine forward claims a breakdown in trust with the legendary manager was the real catalyst for a switch that stunned English football.
Unfulfilled Promises at Old Trafford
Tevez crossed the Manchester divide in 2009 following a successful two-year loan spell at Old Trafford. He helped United lift both the Premier League and the Champions League, but the club refused to pay the fee required to make his stay permanent.
The striker joined City shortly after, going on to win his third Premier League title with his new club. His relationship with his former employers stayed bitter for years, famously highlighted by his decision to hold a ‘RIP Fergie’ banner during City’s 2012 trophy parade.
Feeling Undervalued by Ferguson
Speaking on the Rio Ferdinand Presents channel, Tevez laid out the timeline that led to his exit. He says Ferguson gave him a direct verbal assurance before a two-year loan turned into a permanent switch.
“They spoke to me (before) the two year loan. After, if you play well, (we) pay the contract after one year,” he said. “Fergie told me, ‘Carlos, now I’m going to pay out your contract and you’re going to stay in Manchester’. The team went to a pre-season. I remember this conversation with Fergie. He said ‘I’m going to pay for Berbatov but you, don’t worry, I’m going to buy you and we’ll do your contract.'”
Tevez felt deliberately sidelined as the permanent deal failed to materialise.
“I think that Ferguson had, from the day we talked, 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 added that fans never grasped the full context behind the move.
“For me, the people understand,” he said. “They don’t understand about Fergie speaking to me, or behind the scenes. What happened between Fergie and me, I think people don’t understand that.”
Heartbreak and a Quest for Revenge
Despite the acrimonious exit, Tevez admitted he still holds affection for the Old Trafford club. Ferdinand sympathised with his former team-mate, noting that the Argentine’s departure effectively damaged United, a club that has not lifted the Premier League trophy since 2013.
Tevez confessed the situation took a heavy emotional toll.
“For me it was hard Rio,” he added. “It was hard because I felt like I’d given my heart to United. And I didn’t feel the same. I didn’t feel the same because, if you remember, we won the Champions League. We won the league and, and then, to bring down my price, they brought in a player and I carried on the same way for the first months. The second months, let’s say, of the second year. But by the second, the second month, I didn’t want to know any more.”
His move to the Etihad was driven by spite rather than ambition alone.
“I had a great time at United. The other team, City, for me, was like a revenge. I didn’t get back what I gave.”
Life in the Dugout
Tevez has transitioned into management since retiring from playing. He most recently took charge of Talleres in his native Argentina.
United continue to grapple with the long-term fallout of the post-Ferguson era. The club is still chasing the domestic dominance it enjoyed during Tevez’s successful, yet ultimately ill-fated, spell in red.
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