Tevez to retire after World Cup?
Argentina and Manchester City forward Carlos Tevez has stated that he could possibly retire after the 2010 World Cup in South Africa stating he is ‘saturated’ by football.
Tevez’ comments came during an interview in 2009 with Argentine newspaper Ole before Argentina played Spain, a game they lost 2-1. Tevez has largely featured as a substitute for Argentina under Maradona and he admits that his performances have not been up to standard to displace Gonzalo Higuain, however at 25 his intention to retire not just from international football but football all together has come as a surprise.
Tevez has won domestic cups and league titles in his early career where he has played for boyhood club Boca Juniors, Brazilian big hitters Corinthians who he captained to domestic league glory and has also won 2 Premier League titles and a Champions League title with Manchester Utd. At West Ham Utd Tevez experienced a relegation fight; quite a lot for such a young player. It could be that by winning so many titles, playing for 3 big clubs and achieving so much in a short period of time under such global exposure that Tevez may feel he has done all he can should Argentina win the World Cup.
Tevez has said “It crosses my mind to hang up my boots if we win the World Cup, it’s complicated, there’s my family, the desire to return to Boca Juniors. I’m keen to get a bit of calm. I’ve won a lot. football has saturated me. “I’m a little tired of so much football, so much football…I want to enjoy my family a bit,”
Furthermore a player like Tevez who is used to playing, used to success may be frustrated at his lack of game time and match winning moments for his country as he has experienced in club football. Moments which have been constant in his career in South America, to West Ham, Manchester United and currently at Manchester City. It could be the thought that if he should not play regularly at the World Cup he may have missed his chance to represent his country whilst at the peak of his career with the next World Cup in 2014 with Tevez aged 29. Tevez made his feelings on his current international career clear stating “nobody likes to be a substitute, iIt doesn’t worry me to sit on the bench and I will support my team-mates. I’m not going to sit with my arms folded and watch the World Cup pass by. No, I want to play, I want to enjoy it, I want to be there and I’m going to try 10 times harder than before. I’m determined to turn this situation around. At the World Cup they are going to see the best Carlitos Tevez.”
Whatever the reasons for this potential premature exit from football, Manchester City and Argentina fans shouldn’t worry too much as he is currently contracted to the club until 2014 and Argentina still have to win the World Cup, which they haven’t managed to do in the last 5 attempts since 1986, with countries such as Brazil, Spain, Italy, Holland, France, Germany and England all capable of taking Argentina out of the equation.