The Latest on Carlos Tevez

Manchester City striker striker Carlos Tevez is in the news yet again; this time it has nothing to do with football. Tevez’s friend, Gaston Pauls, is making a film about the Argentine’s life, from growing up in the slums of Buenos Aires to life in the English Premier League. What a journey it has been for Tevez, who grew up in one of the world’s most dangerous slums.

In all of  the havoc and disarray in the slums, Tevez was able to find football as an escape. His youth career began with Club Atlético All Boys at the age of eight. At 13, Tevez was swapped to Boca Juniors. Four years later Tevez made the first team. The rest as they is history.

Here is Pauls on Tevez’s life:

“I first met Carlos about  six years ago when I went to his place to watch an Argentina match with Sergio  Goycochea [Argentina’s World Cup 1990 goalkeeper] and he struck me as a very  natural guy.

“It was then that I decided  I wanted to tell the world the story of his life since he grew up in Fort Apache  – one of the world’s most dangerous slums. By now, Tevez could easily have been  six feet under or involved in crime. He could be lying on the streets or behind  bars; doing drugs or dealing them.

“I was surprised by a lot of things Tevez told us. There were a lot  of things you would have never imagined.   He was really open. Usually when someone tells you their life story they  tell you a softened version and make themselves as some sort of hero. But not  Tevez – he told us stuff that has nothing to do with that.

“Carlos had choices to make back then. Temptations  that were there and perhaps it would have been easier for a kid to fall for them  instead of focusing his mind on his goal. Sometimes he had nothing to eat, but  he went to training anyway. If Tevez didn’t have football I don’t think he’d be  here today.”

After spells with Corinthians, West Ham United, and Manchester United, Tevez joined Manchester City in 2009. His transfer saga this past summer resulted in the club adding fellow Argentine Sergio Aguero to the striking force. Although he has not played a big role for City this season, he has the ability to make a huge impact if City are able to making a title run through May. By the looks of it, Mancini will have his troops geared toward a winning the Premier League.

Will Tevez knock Edin Dzeko out of the first team at Etihad Stadium? I can’t see it happening at the moment. His role will most likely be as a supersub, the precise role he played at Old Trafford from 2007-09.