http://www.uefa.com/magazine/news/kind=4/newsid=603879.html
Player of the masses Cover Story by Martin Mazur
Carlos Tévez walks into the room, prisoner of a big broad smile that he
sports every minute of our interview. "Hola, master," he says, sitting down
and checking the headband that's keeping his moist hair under control. "I've
been having bad hair days lately, and wearing this little thing helps me," he
says, grinning.
Fan favourite
This is not the first interview the Manchester United FC striker has done
today and it won't be the last, yet Carlitos treats everybody as if they were
long lost friends from Fuerte Apache, the tough area of Buenos Aires where he
lived until seven years ago. He accepts some answers are expected, but he
also knows that if he gets bored with being earnest, he can crack an
unexpected joke to take the conversation to a more playful level. Extrovert
and spontaneous, Tévez does not prejudge who is he chatting with. It could
be a journalist, a fan or the president of Brazil. "I try to be myself. Well,
I don’t try actually: I just am. I think fans understand I'm not pretending
to be someone else, and that's why I've always had a very warm relationship
with all of them."
Father
In his first interview for a British magazine back in 2003, Tévez said he
didn't want to move to Europe because he wanted to do the normal 19-year-old
things, like hang out with friends and enjoy his family. But after a spell in
the spotlight for dating a model and arguing with paparazzi outside
nightclubs and restaurants, he felt playing abroad might help him settle and
accepted the move to SC Corinthians in Brazil. On top of that, he went back
to his former girlfriend Vanessa and became a father.
'Confusion'
"It was normal for a 20-year-old to have some confusion, but when you are
abroad you realise a lot of things, like the love you have for your country,
your family and the things that really matter. It was time to grow up. Once
my baby was born, the other Tévez had to disappear. Having a daughter is
incredible. You can be pissed off after a result, injured, depressed or
whatever, then she comes up to you, you hug her and everything suddenly goes
away."
'Player of the masses'
The former Argentina coach Marcelo Bielsa once defined Tévez as "the player
of the masses" – a view shared by the current national team boss Alfio
Basile, who believes, "Carlitos has a natural charisma, on and off the pitch
that makes the fans cheer for him instantly. Fans want him to do well. They
feel happy just by seeing how happy he is." Tévez admits he feels it. "My
style makes me feel closer to the fans. It happened in Argentina, in Brazil,
it happened when we played Copa América in Peru and in Venezuela. It's also
happened in England. I think 80 per cent of what I am, I owe to my character.
When I first arrived at West Ham, the fans were supporting and talking about
me all the time, even though I hadn't done anything. I hadn't even been
picked to play! That's why I celebrated my first goal with them. They
deserved it, because they always backed me up."
Passion
After scoring seven goals in West Ham's last ten games to save them from
relegation, he wanted a new challenge. "The idea of playing in the Champions
League was encouraging. It's the only competition I hadn't been in. I'd
played Copa Libertadores, Intercontinental Cup, Olympic Games, Copa América
and the World Cup." Given the language barrier, he could have easily realised
his UEFA Champions League objective by moving to Spain or Italy. However, in
less than a season, he has come to admire the Premiership and wanted more of
it. "Playing in England is wonderful. You have the fans at hands' reach and
they put you on a roll. The football is spectacular: so much passion, pace,
strength … I can identify with it."
Pride
The passion and love of the English fans is vital. Having proved wrong those
who said an Argentine couldn’t be loved in Brazil, he found himself on the
soil of his country’s second-greatest rivals. Even if he wasn't born at the
time of the Falklands War, his uncle was there, so he knew the story and
understood the implications. "Considering what happened between our countries
in the past, I feel very proud to be treated with so much love in England,
with fans chanting, 'Argentino, Argentino' at every game. It's very touching."
Ronaldo favourite
Ironically, the player Tévez looks up to most is a Brazilian, Ronaldo. "What
I most like about him is that if you make him angry, you're lost. He might
have one chance in a game, but you know he'll take it. He is very patient
with himself." The Milan striker is now 31, the age Tévez has said he wants
to retire. For someone who refused surgery to remove some of the scars on his
neck because it would mean four months away from football, the chance of
Carlos Tévez retiring at 30 looks very remote.
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http://www.books.com.tw/exep/prod/magazine/magfile.php?item=F030014320
CHAMPIONS 10月合併/2007 (三封面隨機出貨)
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