Carlos Tevez was instrumental to Manchester United’s success in the 2007/08 campaign, which saw United do the double winning the Premier League and Champions League.
However, in 2009, the Argentinian made the decision to controversially cross to the blue side of Manchester.
This made Tevez one of just 14 players who played a first team game to play for both Manchester United and Manchester City.
This includes names like Peter Schmeichel, Denis Law, Owen Hargreaves Bryan Kidd and Andy Cole.
Pre United
Teves’ debut season in football came in 2001. He played for Argentinian side Boca Juniors. In this, he only featured six times scoring two goals.
In his second season, Teves grew into the team scoring 11 goals and assisting three in just 15 games.
As a result, Teves became a guaranteed first teamer featuring in 37 games in his final full season at Boca Juniors.
In his time at Boca, Tevez helped the club win the Copa Libertadores in 2002/03, and the Argentinian league in 2004. Furthermore, Tevez shone on international level winning the u20 South American championship in 2003, and Olympic gold in 2003/04.
Ultimately, this earnt him a £15m move to Brazilian side Corinthians. Tevez played in Brazil for just one full season scoring five in 11 games before making his controversial move to English football for West Ham United.
The Argentinian only stayed in East London for a year scoring seven goals and assisting three in 26 games.
Subsequently, Manchester United signed Tevez in 2007.
The West Ham transfer controversy
In the summer of 2006, both Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano joined West Ham on deadline day. It was two deals that came from nowhere.
Crucially, in this season, West Ham struggled. They were 10 points behind 17th in Early March.
The controversy came from the legality of player rights.
The rights of the players was still held by Media Sports Investment company. This breached third party ownership rules.
Thus, with West Ham beginning to turn their season around, clubs demanded a points deduction. However, the Premier League only inflicted a £5.5m fine. Consequently, West Ham continued to win, and on the final day, needed to beat Manchester United to stay up. Carlos Tevez scored the winner, and West Ham stayed up with Sheffield United relegated in their place.
His time at United
Upon his arrival, Tevez naturally gelled in the Manchester United team.
The Argentinian fitted in as the centre forward in a world class front three with Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney.
This front three were unstoppable. They scored 79 goals assisting 29 in 140 appearances. This represented 71.8% of United’s goals that season. Individually, Tevez scored 19 assisting seven in 48 games.
Ultimately, it was the Argentinians ability to link up and create real chemistry with the Portuguese and English forwards which made them so formidable.
This chemistry brought the Champions League back to Old Trafford and yet another Premier League title.
In his second season, Teves scored 15, assisting seven in 51 games. The former Juventus striker won his second Premier League title, the super cup, and a League cup.
The Divide
Teves joined United on a two year loan. By the end of the 2008/09 season, his contract was running out.
Sir Alex Ferguson was ready to offer him a permanent deal.
This would have seen the Argentine becoming one of the top earners at the club.
However, when discussing the transfer years later, Teves said: “I went to [Manchester] United for two years on loan, and in the final year, Ferguson told me that they were going to buy me permanently.
“We got to the Champions League final in Rome and I didn’t have any contract on the table, even though they’d spent the whole year telling me that.
“So I went to City and they complained about it but I never had the option of signing for United so I was free.”
Ultimately, the Argentine left, and Manchester City swooped him up.
The billboard
Moving directly from Manchester United to Manchester City is no quiet transfer. This was big.
So much so that a billboard titled ‘Welcome to Manchester’ with a blue backdrop and Teves’ outstretched arms on the front was installed in the city.
Despite the supposed friendly and humorous nature of the billboard, this was a landmark day in the rivalry between Manchester United and Manchester City.
Until now, Ferguson had never been worked up about their local rivals, but this changed everything. When speaking about the billboard, Ferguson said: “The billboard in Manchester is just City all over, isn’t it.
They are a small club with a small mentality and all they can talk about is Manchester United.”
This was the day Manchester City properly announced themselves as more than just the little club in United’s shadow.
Teves’ time at Manchester City
The Argentinian immediately hit the ground running in his first season at City. In all competitions, Tevez scored 23 goals, assisting 10 in 44 appearances. In the Premier League, the former red scored 20 times assisting six.
However, his second season was a lot more problematic. In a Champions League game against Bayern Munich, the Argentinian was accused of refusing to come on by Manchester City manager at the time, Roberto Mancini.
This led to suspensions, disciplinary hearings and proceedings. Eventually, after months of issues, the player apologised and Tevez was able to play for the club again.
Consequently, Tevez only played 15 games in all competitions that season.
In the following season, Tevez got back to his usual ways. The centre forward scored 11 goals assisting 12 in 34 Premier League games.
However, with Tevez wishing to go back to Argentina, the striker decided to run down his deal and not sign a new contract.
Thus, Tevez left Manchester City to join Juventus in the summer of 2013.
Therefore, despite his troubled time for the sky blues, Tevez will forever be seen as the man that antagonised United.