Tevez opens up on leaving Corinthians, wants to manage the club | OneFootball

A major figure for Corinthians in the 2005 Brazilian title, Carlitos Tevez left his mark and is considered an idol by many fans, despite his “short” spell with the team. Looking back on the circumstances of his farewell, the Argentine opened his heart to Timão and also spoke about a possible return as a coach.

In an interview with ESPN, the now former player regretted the way he left the club, explained the situation in which he moved to English football, and also recalled his complicated relationship with coach Leão.

“Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to say goodbye. Kia (Joorabchian, MSI executive and then the club’s investor) left. And I had to leave too. Then Leão arrived, and he always spoke badly about Argentines,” he began.

Disclosure/Ag. Corinthians

“But the truth is that the year and a half I spent at Corinthians was a huge step in my career. And I love the people of Brazil, I really do, I love Corinthians. At every club I played for, I left a piece of my heart, and that always gave me peace of mind,” he continued.

“I think the circumstances were not ideal. I was the club captain, Corinthians’ captain, and I was at the peak of my career. I was an idol at Corinthians, and then they bring in a coach who doesn’t like Argentines? There was no way to live with that. I mean, they were telling me: ‘You have to leave.’ I think it was very hard for me and my family to leave that way, because of everything I represented for the club,” he added.

Professor Tevez?

Since retiring from his football playing career, Tevez has worked as a coach. Starting at Rosario Central, he also had spells at Independiente and Talleres.

Currently without a club, the black-and-white idol does not hide his desire to coach Corinthians in the future, seeing the possibility in a positive light.

“I think that at every club, especially where you are an idol, you need to be very mentally prepared to come back and also be an idol as a coach. Yes, I would like that (to coach Corinthians). And I believe I will (be Corinthians’ coach) at some point,” he said.

The affection remains

Looking back on the moments he lived wearing the Corinthians shirt, Tevez speaks fondly of the growth he experienced in Brazil and the warmth of the fans.

“It was a very beautiful period in my life. I always remember it very, very fondly. I think I was one of the first (Argentines) to enter the Brazilian market. Everything was very intense. Walking into the dressing room was not easy, (especially) at a club like Corinthians, which is very political. And achieving what we achieved with a team full of stars and under so much pressure while being so young (was wonderful),” he recalled.

“I also had a very particular approach, and I also defended my teammates the way I was taught to defend life. So that helped me too. Looking back, that also helped me connect with the Corinthians fans. But the fans always loved me that way, defending those who fought alongside me, defending my teammates,” he said.

“I remember when I arrived in Brazil and there were huge celebrations to welcome me, and Gaviões da Fiel were there, and I think it was something very, very beautiful, a very quick connection. My family was very happy,” said the former player.

“Today, Flor, my daughter, is 21 years old, but she had just been born. But when we show her the videos and all the craziness I felt, that’s why I love Corinthians and Brazil so much. I haven’t spoken much about Corinthians for many reasons, because it’s also hard for me to talk about my time at Corinthians, because I felt that love,” he emphasized.

The Argentine also spoke about the relationship problems among the players during that period.

“Besides the dressing room not being easy, the whole environment wasn’t easy. Corinthians were under a lot of pressure to win the Libertadores from the investment group that ran the club, being a club that, as we know, is also political. I remember that we had won the Brasileirão in 2005 and all the pressure to go see Lula (then president of Brazil) there in Brasília. And I wanted to go on vacation. But we had all that pressure to go see Lula,”.

“I was 20 years old, I was very young (at the time). And after 20 years you remember all these things and it had to end like that (the way it did). I always carry that in my heart,” he concluded.

Carlos Tevez’s spell at Corinthians lasted about a year and a half. Wearing the black-and-white shirt, he won the 2005 Brasileirão, scored 46 goals, provided 14 assists, and played a total of 78 matches. He was directly involved in 60 goals during this period.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.