Carlos Tevez has gone back to playing football in the streets where he grew up - after admitting he has piled on the pounds in retirement.
Tevez, 38, pulls on his boots twice a week for a kick-about with the kids living in his tough childhood neighbourhood of Fuerte Apache in Buenos Aires. The former Manchester United, Manchester City and West Ham striker walked away from football last summer after a third spell with Boca Juniors.
He has spent the week celebrating City’s Premier League title win and Boca’s triumph in the Argentine League Cup last weekend - and revealed he has turned down offers to return to the game because he enjoys a life of leisure. But he enjoys going back to his roots to keep in some kind of shape.
Tevez said: “People have asked me to play football again, but I won’t. Now I am getting up late. Can you imagine going back to training and running? I don’t want to know anything like that.
“But I do go back to the neighbourhood to play with the kids. I went there on Saturday last week but I only played for 40 minutes because I had a cold and didn't feel well. Usually I play on Tuesdays and Fridays. I do some running but I don’t do anything else. I don’t go to the gym or anything.
“I eat and drink too much. I eat empanadas and drink fernet and wine - whatever I want. I take care of myself a little, but I now have an extra three or four kilos. I get up a little late. I can’t imagine going back to training and running.
“I used to get up at 6am to go training. I would arrive first and be the last to leave. But I don’t have the strength to do that now. I have had my 20 years as a professional and was lucky that I had no serious injuries.”
Tevez started his career with Boca and moved to Corinthians in Brazil before joining West Ham. After controversially scoring the goal that kept the Hammers in the Premier League in 2007, he moved to Manchester. First he was part of the United team that won back-to-back titles and the Champions League.
Then after joining City he became the first Blues captain to lift a trophy in 35 years when they won the FA Cup in 2011 before helping them win the title 12 months later. Spells with Juventus, Boca and Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua followed before he returned to his first club again in 2018.
Tevez watched Boca’s 3-0 Copa de la Liga win over Tigre and City’s title-clinching 3-2 victory over Aston Villa on Sunday on TV. He said: “This week I am celebrating twice for the triumphs of City and Boca. I am used to winning - before as a player, now as a fan. I am as happy as I should be. And I will continue to celebrate because I don’t have to go to training.”
